What Hurts the Most
by flowersforelephants
Summary: Hermione Granger thinks that she is in love with Draco Malfoy... but is she? Through many heart breaks she eventually finds the man that she is destined to be with. The only question is... who is it? inspired by the song What Hurts the Most
1. Chapter 1

**What Hurts the Most**

**By Victoria Anne Stauffer**

**What Hurts the Most – By Rascal Flatts**

_I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house  
That don't bother me  
I can take a few tears now and then  
and just let 'em out  
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while  
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me  
There are days every now and again  
I pretend I'm ok, but that's not what gets me_

What hurts the most  
was being so close  
And havin' so much to say  
And watchin' you walk away  
And never knowin'  
What could've been   
And not seein' that lovin' you  
Is what I was trying to do 

It's hard to deal with the pain of losin' you every where I go  
But I'm doin' it  
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone  
Still harder  
Gettin' up, gettin' dressed, livin' with this regret, but I know  
If I could do it over  
I would trade, give away, all the words that I saved in my heart that I left unspoken

What hurts the most  
Is being so close  
And havin' so much to say  
And watchin' you walk away  
And never knowin'  
What could've been  
And not seein' that lovin' you  
Is what I was tryin' to do

What hurts the most  
Was being so close  
And havin' so much to say   
And watchin' you walk away  
And never knowin'  
What could've been  
And not seein' that lovin' you  
Is what I was tryin' to do

Not seeing that loving you  
That's what I was trying to do 

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Hermione Granger lay on her bed crying. She thought that this had to be the worst day of her life. The man she secretly loved had asked her if they were "just friends". She put on a brave face and plastered a fake smile across her face and told him

"Yes, of course."

But what really had Hermione was that she thought that there had been some sort of spark between them.

**Flashback**

"**Granger."**

"**Malfoy, what do you want? Can't you see I'm trying to study?"**

"**Oh nothing, I just enjoy bugging you, that's all," Draco replied with a smirk plastered across his face. And then with a flick of his wand her book that she was studying from flew smoothly into his hands.**

"**MALFOY! You give that back right NOW!"**

"**Granger, why should I? You always have your nose in some stupid book. Maybe I should just take this and make you relax for once in your life. I mean, good god Granger, exams aren't for months now and here you are studying as if they are next week!"**

"**What do you care if I have my nose in a book or not?" Hermione inquired.**

"**I just… I uh… It's just annoying, ok!? Merlin, what is with you these days?"**

"**Just give me my book back… please," she said warily. With a mischievous glint in his eye, Draco held the book up above his head. **

"**Reach for it if you want it back so much."**

"**WHAT! Malfoy give it here, NOW!" **

**He shook his head and she began to pound on his chest, demanding him to give her book back to her. This caused him to smile, no not smirk but smile, as he held her book even higher. That smile was what made her begin to think that something might have been there; his smile was so warm and bright, it just made Hermione fall deeper into the hole that she had dug herself into. And as she went to reach for the book she slipped and Draco caught her with his free hand and wrapped his arm around her waist as he pulled her up. He handed back her book to her and they both looked deeply into one another's eyes and Draco began to pull her closer to him. Then there was suddenly a knock at the door and they both jumped about ten feet apart. **

"**I'll get it." Hermione said rather sullenly.**

**End Flashback**

Now Hermione sat in her bed crying her heart out. She was relieved that Draco had decided to spend the rest of the afternoon in the Slytherin Common Room. If he knew or saw her crying like this, their relationship as friends that they had worked so hard to build would go 'ka-put'. Never had she been put in this difficult of a position. Either she told him how she felt and have him forever, or tell him and lose him forever. And she figured it would be the later.

Hermione was very depressed. This had been the first guy that actually had some potential that showed an interest in her. All of the other guys where just completely wrong for her or just straight out annoying or could be a bit of a cow.

She had finally gotten to the point where she just couldn't take it any longer and grabbed a spare piece of parchment and motioned for the owl to come down.

_Ginny,_

_If it wouldn't be too much of a bother could you please come over to my dorm as quickly as you possibly could? I would talk to Ron or Harry about this, but they wouldn't understand and wouldn't speak to me for weeks if I told them. So if it's not too much of a bother then could you please, please come over. Thank you so much!_

_Hermione_

_Oh and the password is Frankfurter… don't ask._

Hermione signed her letter and sent if off with her owl telling it to take her letter to Ginny as fast as possible. As she watched her owl take off into the afternoon sky she began to cry once more.

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An owl was pecking at the window of the Gryffindor common room. One short, first year boy went and fetched the letter that the owl was carrying in its beak.

"One letter for a Ginny Weasley… Ginny… where are you?" The little boy walked around looking for Ginny.

"Oh…um excuse me…" The little boy tried to interrupt the snogging session that Ginny was having with a certain Harry Potter.

"Um… Ginny I have a letter for you…" The little boy tried once more to get her attention.

"Here let me help you." Said Lavender taking the letter from the little boy who looked at her gratefully and went back to his group of friends

"Oh, hi Ron! How are you doing… you know you don't look so great… is something wrong?" Lavender said, pretending to talk to an invisible Ron, and Harry and Ginny shot apart.

"Ron I can explain… hey Ron's not here!" Harry sounded.

"Yes Caption Obvious, but while you two where having your little snogg fest over there, Ginny got a letter from someone.

"Oh, well give it here" Ginny replied and she read her letter quickly. "Oh no… Harry I have to go… I'll see you later!" and she gave him a little peck on the cheek and left him standing in the Gryffindor common room very confused and very disheveled.

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Ginny walked briskly to the Head's dorm. She was so worried about Hermione and how she was doing; Ginny was the only one who knew about Hermione's feelings for Draco, which made her feel very honored that Hermione would trust her with something like that. Though she had to admit, at first she was a tad disgusted with the fact that Hermione liked Draco Malfoy of all people.

Ginny quickened her pace to a slow jog and made her way through a crowd of people only to be stopped by Draco Malfoy himself.

"No running through the corridors." Draco drawled as if he would rather do anything else besides stopping people from doing stupid things like running through the halls.

"Oh, it's you."

"What do you want Malfoy?" Ginny sneered which took Draco by surprise, after all she had been a lot nicer to him for the past few months; this sudden change in behavior caught him off guard. But what Draco didn't know was that Hermione had asked Ginny to be nicer to Draco. "Now if you excuse me I'm off to see Hermione."

"Oh well let me escort you there the password has been changed and Hermione doesn't know yet." Draco told her trying to find some excuse to escape his Head Boy duties.

"No thanks, just tell me what the password is and leave me alone." Ginny said with forced politeness.

"Well, I'm afraid I can't do that Weasely." He told her calmly.

"And why the bloody hell would that be?" Ginny's temper rising.

"Because I'm on my way over there anyways and I'm not so inclined to inform potty mouths what the password is. I would like at least people who have decency in my Dorm. Now either you can be even-tempered and follow me or… you'll just have to go back to wherever you came from." Draco smirked and Ginny, much to her displeasure, had no choice but to let him escort her to the Head's Dormitory.

About fifteen minutes of dead silence between the two of them, they at last reached the portrait of Sir Humblegeown.

"Password" Sir Humblegeown drawled.

"Manicore." Draco told the knight and the painting swung open to reveal the entrance to the Head's Common Room. "There you go Weasley." He offered his hand to help her up through the hole, which Ginny intentionally ignored. Sighing he followed her into the room. "Not to be rude, but would you hurry up to Granger's room, I'd like some time to myself for a while." Ginny hurried out of the common room and up the stairs that lead to Hermione's room, looking back once to see Draco sitting in front of the fire with his head in his hands mumbling something she couldn't quite make out.

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"Hermione?" Ginny called as she entered Hermione's room. Suddenly she heard a voice come from a small lump on the bed. Ginny sat on the bed and pulled the covers from over her friend's head. "Hermione are you ok?" Ginny asked seeing the tear stains on Hermione's face. Ginny pulled Hermione into a hug and let her cry on her shoulder. They didn't sit there for long, and as Hermione began to pull herself back together, she slowly stopped crying. Once again Ginny asked Hermione if she was ok as she hadn't answered her yet.

"I think so. I just need some… time." Hermione said quietly, and Ginny nodded in an understanding, solemn manner. "Ginny?"

"Yes?"

"Could you just sit here for a while with me?" Hermione asked.

"Oh of course! But you know what this calls for?" Ginny said with a Cheshire cat grin on her face.

"Oh no, anything but-!" Hermione laughed.

"YES! A GIRL'S NIGHT!"

"Noooo!" And as Hermione said this she stood up not realizing that her feet were still tangled up in the sheets. So as she tried to run away she tripped and fell flat on the floor and didn't get up.

"Hermione? Hermione!" Ginny rushed to the aid of her friend, and rolled her over only to find her not passed out or dead, but laughing her head off. Ginny smacked her in the arm for worrying her so much. But Hermione's laughter was contagious and Ginny started to laugh her head off with Hermione, both of them rolling on the floor clutching their sides. It was just at that moment that Draco rushed into the room, and the laughter suddenly stopped.

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	2. Chapter 2

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Draco Malfoy sat on the couch with his head in his hands. "Why, why, why?" he mumbled as the Weasely girl headed upstairs to Hermione's room. He didn't want to say it, the whole, ' We're just friends' thing, but it had to be done. He couldn't risk something happening to her because of him. She would be sure to lose everything that she held close to her heart, and possibly her own life, with the entire Dark Lord problem. He wasn't going to be the cause of the misery that would result if they got any closer than they already were. He felt horrible the moment he had said those three words, and the smile she had plastered on her face, at first had been very deceiving, but the unshed tears in her eyes told the truth.

Now he sat on the couch rubbing his temples trying to decide what to do. He could still ask her out despite of all the dangers that went with it or just be miserable and keep her safe. This was the hardest—

Thump.

"What in the world?" He got up and looked around the common room to see where the noise could have possibly come from.

"Hermione? Hermione!" Draco heard Ginny yell from up in Hermione's Dorm.

"Oh, no." he whispered. If anything ever happened to her he didn't know what he would do. She was the only one who ever accepted him back into Hogwarts, after—

Draco shuddered as her ran up the stairs to Hermione's dorm, last year was to horrible for him to even think about. He still had no idea how he could have possibly been made Head Boy.

Finally, reaching the landing at the top of the stairs, Draco grasped the handle and threw the door wide open, only to see the smiles of the two girls sitting on the floor quickly fade away.

"Is everything alright?" He asked quickly, trying to make it look like he hadn't just run all the way from the common room up to the dorm room.

"What? Oh… well, yes everything is fine. Thank you Draco." Hermione told him sweetly.

"Oh, well alright." And the second after he closed the door Ginny started yelling at Hermione.

"Why the bloody hell were you nice to him after what he said to you?! You should have ignored him or been rude to him… or SOMETHING!"

"Ginny! Shhh! These walls aren't sound proof! Anyways, I can't let him notice that something has changed, otherwise he'd notice!"

"Oh… sorry."

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Draco slowly moved away from the door with his head hung and his hands in his pockets. Yes, they weren't beset friends but they weren't enemies either, despite her relationship with the weaselbee and pot-head.

Draco headed back to the couch to sit and just stare into the fire, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. Slowly, Draco made his way to the door only to open and find all of the Gryffindor girls and a few Hufflepuffs standing right in front of him.

"Um, not to be rude, but what are all of you doing here?"

"Oh, move aside and let us in!" Some girl said from the back of the group.

"Not without an explanation of why all of you are here!"

"Malfoy, we are all here because one roommate of yours, as you might recall, invited us over for a sleepover, I'm sure she told you as she said that you _wouldn't_ be here."

"What! Now just a second! I was never told about any sleepover!" Draco shot a quick glare up towards the direction of Hermione's room. "Just a moment ladies." He told the girls standing in the hallway as he let go of the portrait, letting it swing shut despite the many protests of the females outside. He stormed angrily up the stairs to Hermione's room and began pounding on the door.

"GRANGER! Open this door immediately!" he demanded.

"Just a second!" A voice from within the room called. Then he heard giggles, Draco Malfoy couldn't stand it when girls giggled. It was like they where hiding something from the entire male population.

"Cough Cough Miss Hermione Jane Granger would like to inform Mr. Draco Malfoy, that she will not open said door until Mr. Draco Malfoy calms down his wee head." Said a voice that sounded oddly like Ginny's.

"Well Mr. Draco Malfoy will not calm down his wee head until she opens this DAMN DOOR!" More giggles… what could be so god damn funny!?

"Fine Granger, all of you stupid friends can stand out in the cold for all I care." Draco turned to leave only to be stopped by Hermione who had suddenly grabbed his arm.

"They will not stand in the hallway! Why on earth didn't you let them in?" She yelled grasping his arm even harder.

"Granger, let go of me!" This only making her grip on him even harder.

"You will never let my friends stand out in the cold hallway ever again!" She stormed over to the entrance after finally releasing his arm, and let everybody inside.

"Well, what about the fact that you decided to have a slumber party without telling me, and that you're going to kick me out of my bloody dorm for the night! What, do you think that you're better than me or something? Because Granger that's not the case, I mean you're not even that pretty, nor will you ever be! You're just a filthy little mud blood who doesn't deserve anything!" Draco yelled and everyone held their breath while looking back and forth between Draco and Hermione nervously waiting for something to happen.

It seemed to be an hour had passed. The room's atmosphere was so thick with tension, you could have cut it with a dull knife.

Slowly, Draco realized what he had said. "Hermione… I'm sor-" Draco tried to apologize but he noticed the tears form in her eyes and felt like he was officially the worst person in the entire world. "Hermione? Look I didn't mean it, I don't know why I said it. I'm sorry." He gently went to grab her shoulder but she shifted so it was impossible for him to reach.

"G-go… j-just go." She stuttered as a tear began to fall down her face, and slowly all of the girls surrounded Hermione and sending death glares at Draco.

"Hermione?"

"GET OUT!" She screamed tears now streaming down her face. He quickly made to get out into the hall he whispered quietly.

"I really am sorry." And the portrait swung shut.

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	3. Chapter 3

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Hermione looked down at the floor, eyes unraveling the burgundy threads if the carpet, feeling as though her brain was weighing down in her head, a dead weight that still managed to make the world go hazy and fill her mind with the noise of a thousand heavy metal concerts, though the room was silent.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Lavender with a worried expression in her eyes. "Hermione, forget about him, he's just a stupid ferret." Lavendar reassured softly, giving Hermione a slight smile. He really was stupid, and now that she thought about it, she was being stupid too. She had every reason in the world to be happy. She had two amazing parents who cared for her more than any material possession, lived in a wonderful home, had the opportunity to receive some of the most amazing schooling on the face of the planet, and the greatest, most wonderful friends she could ask for. She was the smartest witch of her year, and she was Head Girl, the highest honor a student could have. Her life really was marvelous, so why on Earth was she crying over the fact that some idiot guy had called her ugly and other stupid things? _'Oh right, because he was her friend- or at least supposed to be.'_

"Hermione are you ok?" asked a very worried Ginny.

"No." Hermione pouted, looking up at Ginny as if the library had been blown the smithereens. "I mean my toe nails don't have any nail polish on them. How on Earth do you expect me to be ok?" Hermione looked around and laughed at the looks of sheer confusion on everyone's face. Slowly, Ginny began to smile, and it spread as if it were contagious. Hermione watched the smile grow until every girl in the room was grinning so broadly one might think it was raining Orlando Blooms. Then the real sleepover began.

©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©

Everyone was laughing, some laughing so hard they fell off their pillows and onto the carpeted floor. A few of the girls had gotten all of Hermione's bed things from her bedroom and brought them down and passed them around for everyone to sit on, which was much more comfortable than the floor. Every pillow Hermione owned, as well as all of her blankets, sheets, and quilts, was lying on the floor. Hermione noticed that the different girls had tended to pick their house colors, and that quite a few of the girls from other houses (except Slytherin of course) had shown up.

After an hilarious hour of playing truth or dare (which had resulted in Ginny having to sneak up to the seventh year boys dorm and stealing a pair of each of the boys boxers, Lavender running to the Slytherin Dorms and back in her underwear, Padma and Hannah working together to find Theodore Nott's owl in the Owlery and tying it up to the handles of the doors of the Great Hall, Parvati pole dancing, Susan painting a moustache on five sleeping portraits with Permanent Magic Proof Non Removable Ink, Lisa and Mandy letting off a dozen dung bombs in Snape's classroom, and Hermione skinny dipping in the Great Lake), and doing everyone's makeovers and two very scary movies that had been magically projected on the wall causing all the girls to scream like they were the ones getting their heads chopped off, the room became silent again

"It's about time they fell asleep" said a yawning Harry, who was now stashing ways his invisibility cloak.

"I know, and that last movie was bloody scary, do you know how hard it was not to scream at times?" Ron whispered.

"Yeah I know, I have the finger marks on my arm from where you where squeezing it. Thanks for that by the way." Harry whispered as they made their way across the Head's Common room.

"Though it was definitely worth it mate." Ron said. "Merlin, I never would have guessed Parvati could pole dance that well." He whistled softly.

"Ron!" Harry scolded quietly. Ron simply shrugged his shoulders.

"How much do you think Hermione will hate us for making her room a complete disaster?" asked Ron.

"Probably a lot."

"Wicked." Ron said causing Harry to have to stifle a laugh so not to wake the girls.

"You know some of these girls are rather ugly sleepers." Ron observed as they passed Mandy Brocklehurst, who was snoring rather loudly.

"Shut up." Harry told him as they reached the stairs that led up to Hermione's dorm. They slowly made their way up the stairs, as silently as possible when Ron stepped on a creaky stair.

"Wuzzgonon?" Lisa asked groggily before falling down into her soft pillow and going promptly back asleep seeing as no one was awake.

"Be careful!" Harry whispered

"Sorry"

They soon reached the top of the stairs and slowly opened the door.

"Oh this is going to be fun." They said, looking at one another with large grins on their faces and rather mischievous glints in their eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N My Beta is in France for a few days…. So I won't be able to post any new chappies for awhile! Sorry! And Thanks for all of your reviews they are greatly appreciated!

Diclaimer: I unfortanitly don't own any of the Harry potter characters and other reconizable things in this story

"I really am sorry," Draco whispered over his shoulder as the portrait swung shut behind him. Finally, he began to make his way through the castle toward the Slytherin Dormitory. His progress was slow, feet barely lifting off the floor as he trudged along; he was not looking forward to having to sleep in the damp, cold, musty room that is the Slytherin Common Room. _'Maybe I could bunk with Blaise…'_ he thought, searching for other options. '…_ and then become the laughing stock of the entire school for sleeping with a guy.'_ He scoffed. People were such idiots. Still, it would be best to not put himself in such a position; he would rather deal with the cold, and the damp, and the musty smell than ruin his reputation, even if it was though such stupid rumours. It was just his nature, being self-centered in that way. He shuffled his way past the isles suits of armor and countless sleeping portraits when he suddenly was almost knocked to the ground by some invisible force that had collided with him.

Draco quickly looked back over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of something that resembled a piece of a shoe lying on the floor for a split second, until it disappeared again, seeming to melt into the floor and cease existing.

"Watch it Potter!" he knowingly called after it, though to any other it appeared to be nothing at all.

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After what seemed to be an hour of wandering the castle Draco had finally reached the Slytherin common room. After giving the password, he plopped down on the black leather couch and looked. It lacked a warm safe feeling that seemed to always be in the Head's dorm. As a matter of fact, the Slytherin Dorms -which he used to love- now never failed to bring his mood down into a deep depression. Sighing, Draco slipped off his shoes and lay down on the couch. He tried to find a more comfortable position that would bless him with the ability to sleep, but it was rather difficult since the couch itself was quite uncomfortable. Giving up, he closed his eyes and settled for where he was. Yet for the life of him he could not fall into the soothing bliss that was sleep. He supposed part of the problem wasn't the uncomfortable couch- he was feeling horrible inside about what he had said to Hermione earlier. After all, she was the only one who had accepted him when he made that fateful decision to turn and help the Order. Potter and Weasely still had yet to truly trust him- they didn't even like the fact that he had been made Head Boy alongside Hermione. It was something that Hermione disapproved of though so no one spoke of it. But he could see it in their eyes, through their behavior, and by their actions- they still disliked and distrusted him, and it weighed down on him no matter how much he tried to tell himself and others it didn't.

At three in the morning, after scraping a total of perhaps an hour or two of sleep, Draco decided to risk going back to his own dorm to retrieve a pillow and blanket for the rest of the night. Yawning as he stretched and rubbed at his eyes to try in vain to clear his blurry vision, he slowly made his way to the other side of the castle, barely awake enough to jump hurriedly into a nearby broom closet once to avoid getting caught by Mrs. Norris. Slightly more awake than before, he slipped past Filch and around the last corner that led him directly to the Head's Common Room. After whispering the password he stealthily slipped inside and shut the portrait as quietly as he could before turning to creep up to his room.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry and Ron stood anxiously in Hermione's doorway, grins still on their faces as they surveyed the room.

"Oh, she's going to kill us after this." Ron whispered with an excited look in his eye.

"Most definitely," Harry agreed. "Come on lets get started... we don't have long." He closed the door as Ron began conjuring up some toilet paper. Harry took out his wand and started guiding the rolls around the room, around Hermione's stacks of books, her four poster bed, the curtains of her window, her armoire, and anything else he could think of.

"Use a Sticking Charm and attach it to the walls and ceiling," Ron advised, guiding his own roll under Hermione's bed and up to the ceiling.

"Oh yeah," Harry grinned, "This is so much more fun with spells."

About thirty minutes later Ron and Harry were admiring their work.

"Looks good mate." Harry said and patted Ron on the back.

"Yeah it does. But you know what would be good?" Harry looked at his friend to see another mischievous grin in place. "If we transfigured some of her books into random objects, or animals..."

"Now Ron, that's a bit too far don't you think?"

"Yeah I guess your right." Ron said as he laid down on Hermione's bed. "Ya know what mate? This bed is really comfy. Now, I wouldn't mind having a bed like this, not to mention the fact that it's HUGE." Ron stretched out on the bed, his hands reaching underneath the pillows. "What the--?" That is, until they stumbled upon a book that appeared to be a simple notebook as far as Ron knew.

"Dear lord, Harry. Hermione takes notes IN BED. Doesn't that girl ever relax?"

Harry couldn't help rolling his eyes at his friend's thickness sometimes. "Um, Ron, that's Hermione's diary."

Simultaneously, Ron and Harry met each other's gaze and smirked.

"You know we shouldn't read it right?" Harry mentioned.

"Yes, but if we just happened to drop it and it opened." said Ron mischievously. Harry smiled in agreement.

"And the 'wind' kept tuning the pages" said Harry just as mischievously as Ron had.

"And of course, we would have to read what it said to make sure there wasn't anything wrong with her." Ron responded. Both of their smirks grew as Ron "accidentally" dropped the book on the floor, "Oops!" he exclaimed as he dropped the book, they both watched the book fall onto the floor...

closed.

"Um... it didn't work Ron."

"Hold on let me try again...oops!" Once again Ron dropped the book and it still remained closed.

"Having issues?"

"No."

"Why don't you let me try?"

"Fine, I don't know what good it will do you though." Ron reluctantly handed Hermione's diary over to Harry.

"Watch and learn... oops!" Harry dropped the book on the floor and it fell...

open.

"Show-off" Ron mumbled before kneeling down onto his hands and knees beside Harry as the two started to read.

_Dear Diary..._


	6. Chapter 6

_Dear Diary,_

_Today was September 2__nd__, 1997; the first day of my last year at Hogwarts. How I will miss this place! So many good memories are in these very stones. Well, it was nice meeting up with Harry and Ron and Ginny again. A part of me wished mother hadn't insisted that I come to that stupid family reunion. It seems like forever since I have seen everyone here. I couldn't help but notice the changes. Ron's grown even taller, and his red hair even longer. I'm surprised Mrs. Weasley hasn't cut it magically in his sleep yet. It does look rather cute though, I must admit. And his eyes are so playful, like they've always been. While on the train, Harry and Ron were playing Exploding Snap, and it wasn't until Ron burst out in laughter as Harry's robe ends caught fire that I realized how much I've missed that wonderful sound… You know… sometimes… I wish…that things were different. That maybe, just maybe, I was someone that Ron would want… But that's foolish and unpractical thinking… Anyways, Harry looks… well like Harry, though his black, unruly hair has also gotten quite long, but I think Ginny is rather fond of it…I do have to talk to her later of a certain someone. -_

"Ha! Hermione thinks I look better than you!" Ron exclaimed, puffing out his chest.

"That's only because she fancies you mate." Harry reminded him, pointing to the passage on the page, half confused at why Ron didn't say anything about Hermione's obvious belief that Ron didn't notice her and half relieved Ron was too thick to understand the portion concerning Ginny and that 'certain someone.'

Ron only blushed slightly, diverting his eyes to where they had left off in the open book.

-_Everything was going well until I had to leave for the Prefect's meeting, which I, as this year's Head Girl, had to conduct. Ron stayed for a little longer so he could finish his game with Harry. It didn't bother me then, and I can't really say if it bothers me now. You see, the thing is, when I opened the compartment for the Head Boy and Girl, you'll never guess who I found inside. Yeah. Yet, the strange thing is he looked…different. Almost as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He slouched in his seat; head hung low, long blonde hair falling over his face like a curtain hiding the action on stage from the entire audience. Needless to say, I was shocked at his appearance, yet something inside me was dying to sweep aside that platinum blonde hair, out of his face and tangle my fingers in it. Somehow I managed to open my mouth and say "Malfoy?"_

"WHAT!" Ron yelled

"Ron, think! Malfoy's Head Boy, of course it was him!" remarked Harry, who hoped his friend didn't raise his voice any louder.

"But she was practically fawning over his hair!" Ron protested, even louder than before.

"Get real Ron! And shut up! You're going to wake someone up!" Harry hurriedly whispered.

"But Harry-!" Ron whined, softer this time.

"We haven't read the whole story! Just wait, I'm sure Hermione will yell at him soon." Harry reassured the troubled Ron, and turned back to the book.

_- Merlin I feel stupid. It's not like I couldn't tell who he was. Yet, I'm almost glad I did say something- as soft as I spoke he must have heard me, because he lifted his head up slowly until his hair parted allowing me to see his face. He seemed…tired. Tired of living, of dealing with whatever the world decided to dish out. The heavy shadows under his eyes and hollows of his pale cheeks scared me. And then his gaze met mine and I could see. He didn't seem at all surprised to see me standing there, but I was again shocked at the sight of him; of the emotions in those grey eyes of his. The swirling greys dusted with silver were clouded with twisting masses of confusion, defeat, worry, indecision. He looked lost, unsure, vulnerable. I felt as though something had sprung alive in me, as though I had found something I had been searching for. Maybe I wanted to see someone else with their guard down, so that I finally knew that other people feel like I do, I'm not sure. But…it felt so wrong at the same time, to see a person, even if that person was Malfoy, in such a state. _

"I can't effin believe this! Not only did she _not_ insult the living daylights out of the prick, she's sympathizing with the enemy! And she's bloody ATTRACTED to MALFOY!! That's just wrong!" Ron started breathing unevenly and his face was all scrunched up with anger.

_I wasn't sure what to do, but before I could do anything, he broke contact and looked away, no words, no other movement. I stood there, feeling foolish and out of place, staring at the platinum hair that blocked my eyes from those windows into the mystery that is Draco Malfoy. Still staring outside to the dark world we were passing through, he cracked the silence. He told me to stop gawking because the Prefects were coming. I don't know how he knew, but not a second later there was a knock on the door. I was surprised again, no Mudblood or bookworm or know-it-all comments, not even a whine about how horrible living in the same vicinity for a year would be. I felt I couldn't throw something offensive at him with him looking like the whole world had forsaken him without having a solid reason to do so-_

"A solid reason?! How about SEVEN BLASTED YEARS of blasted solid reasons!" Ron spat.

"Merlin, Ron! Shut it!" Harry whispered harshly, though he agreed and was starting to seriously worry about Hermione's mentality.

-I don't know. This year will definitely be an interesting one though. I noticed that he seemed sort of withdrawn during the Feast too. Maybe I'll figure him out this year.

Well, that has been occupying my mind all night, so if I had anything else I wished to write I have forgotten. Luckily, I studied a lot over the summer, so I should not have to worry about classes just yet. Still, maybe I should drop by the library tomorrow and pick up a new stock of books on Transfiguration.

Until tomorrow,

Hermione

"Thank Merlin that's over!" Ron muttered and Harry rolled his eyes at his friend though he silently agreed.

"But that was only from the beginning of this year, I wonder what she writes about now, after living with the git for months." Harry muttered to himself, half hoping that Ron hadn't heard him since his blood already was beginning to boil with all of this Malfoy talk, which there was surely more to come.

"Yeah, I wonder…you want to find out?" Ron asked aggressively, mentally hexing Malfoy into unidentifiable pieces the size of plankton.

"Well, uh, yeah." Harry replied. Ron quickly flipped a few more pages of the "book" and randomly selected an entry.

Dear Diary

Today was December 13, 1997. Today was, for the most part, another tedious day being Head Girl. My lessons were fine, though nothing especially exciting happened in any of them. I had to patrol tonight, and I think I gave out about five detentions, so I'm in a rather foul mood, because you know how much I hate giving out detentions. You would think I could have found refuge in the Common Room, but nooooo. Draco just had to go and ruin it.–

"Woah! Since when did Hermione start calling Malfoy by his first name?!" Ron gasped.

"I dunno mate. Probably since that whole switching of sides thing in October. You know how much time they've spent together since then," Harry scoffed, a strange rumble emitting from his throat as he thought on the still extremely touchy subject.

-He thought that it would be a splendid idea to start bugging me while I was studying, again. I hate it when he does that. And then he goes telling me, once again, that I should do something other than study! Ridiculous! As if I have the time. I've already spent too much time this year dealing with him, even if those late-night conversations were wonderfully bonding and enjoyable… Anyways, he decided to steal the book I was studying from, from right under my nose! Talk about rude! And of course when I demanded he give my book back to me, he refused .With that amazing, undeniable, knee-weakening half-smile I've seen him wear so many times since October. Yeah, well, then, when I went to go grab it from his hands, he moved it high above his head, way out of my reach! And you want to know what he told me? He said "Reach for it if you want it back so bad." And smirked that blasted smirk of his! It took all my will power not to slap that sodding smirk right back off his bloody-

"Did Hermione just cuss?!" Ron and Harry said simultaneously, eyebrows raising into their long hair.

"I think we're rubbing off on her," remarked Harry, and Ron nodded in agreement.

-face, But I stayed civil and asked for my book back, I even said please! But again, the stubborn git insisted that I reach for it. So just to get it over with I did as he asked and reached up, but he was too tall, so I tried going on my tiptoes and slipped, almost fell over on my arse, too! But I didn't because Draco reacted quickly, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me there, being my support when I was weak, keeping me from falling-

"HE DID WHAT?!" Ron panicked.

"Ron, shut your trap!" Harry whispered. "Not all those girls out there sleep as heavily as you do!"

"But-"

"Shhh!"

"B-but-"

"Just read!"

"Alright, alright… I still can't believe tha-"

"Ron!"

"Sorry. Sheesh."

-Slowly, started to pull me up until I was safely on my feet and in his arms. I tried to help myself gain balance a little by using his shoulders to pull myself up. My book lay forgotten on the floor as I found myself losing myself in those swirling orbs of grey that have long fascinated me. His eyes seemed to be doing the same to mine, so fervently I felt a slight pink tinge rise in my face, but I couldn't stop gazing into those eyes that painfully slowly got ever so closer. Our faces must have been mere centimeters apart when there was a knock at the door. The unexpected sound took both of us by surprise and we jumped far away from each other, breaking eye contact. Though I felt a deep blush embedded in my cheeks, I quickly tried to compose myself and got the door. And of course you wouldn't believe who was outside- Harry and Ginny! They had come to tell me-

"OK! That's enough!" Harry suddenly cried, pulling the book away and attempting to close the pages firmly shut, despite the fact that Ron's hands were in the way.

"Harry, stop being such a git and lemme read." Ron protested, wondering why Harry had suddenly freaked. He yanked the diary from Harry's hands and started reading exactaly what Harry didn't want him to find out.

_-that they are back together again! I'm so happy for the two of them! Of course Ron doesn't know yet, being the overprotective brother he is. At least I know that know that Ron won't kill Harry because they are best mates… Though I think I heard something about it being against the guy code for a guy to date his best-mate's sister… So maybe there will be some tension there- well, I hope not for both Ginny's and Harry's sake. Of course if they had waited about two minutes longer, maybe something would have happened. Yet… I'm not sure whether to strangle them or thank them for interrupting when they did. Well, I ought to get off to bed._

_Until tomorrow,_

_Hermione Jane Granger_

Harry nervously waited through the awkward silence, unsure of Ron's reaction.

"So… Hermione really does have some problems doesn't she? I mean, thinking that sort of stuff about Mal-"

"You're dating my sister?" Ron questioned calmly, which Harry didn't know was a sign of an easy understanding or a simple calm before the storm.

"Errr…yeah. Yeah, I am."

"HOW IN THE BLOODY HELL COULD YOU BE DATING _**MY**_ _**SISTER**_?" Ron yelled as Harry shrank back into a corner.

"Now Ron, calm down" Harry said hoping that somehow Ron's wild temper would go away.

"How could you go behind my back and do something like that?!"

"You think I wanted too? You've started hating every guy who has dated Ginny, I didn't want you to start hating me as well!"

"I don't hate every guy that Ginny has ever dated."

"Micheal Corner, Dean Thomas… you didn't start to hate them until after they dated Ginny.

"Quit turning the tables on me Harry!"

"I'm not trying too!"

"You better run Harry." Ron glared at his used-to-be best mate with a murderous glint in his eyes.

"Why?" Harry whispered, thinking he knew the unpleasant answer already.

"So I don't kill you."

"Oh." And with that Harry turned on his heel, rushed out of the door and down the stairs as fast as he could- only to trip over a sleeping bag.

"Umph"

"Go away Harry," mumbled a very groggy Ginny.

"Ginny you've got to help me. Ron… RON!" Harry yelled as he spotted Ron coming down the stairs after him, accidentally waking quite a number of girls with his shouting.

"Harry, go away. I'm trying to sleep." Ginny rolled over while the other girls who had woken up simply looked confusedly around the room, watching the scene before them unfold.

"Ron, relax! What do you want me to do? Break up with Ginny?!" Harry pleaded. By this time every girl in the room had awaken, including Ginny again.

"What are you two doing here?!" Hermione demanded, getting no response whatsoever.

"Harry, are you going to break up with me?" asked a very tired, very confused, and very nearly in tears Ginny.

Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny. "No, no, no… Of course not Ginny, I could never break up with you." Harry whispered soothingly, brushing his hands through her long red hair. Her tears that were spilling on his shirt slowly stopped as he gently stroked her hair. Though the other girls were now sighing and socializing quietly amongst themselves, yet Ginny was still confused, "So why were you talking about it?" Ginny asked sleepily.

"Ron." And Harry pointed to where Ron was standing and everyone in the room gasped.

"Harry did you tell Ron?" Hermione whispered and Harry shook his head.

"And you knew too! And you didn't tell me! Well, isn't this just swell?! My two best mates and my sister are sneaking around behind my back!" Ron yelled, face getting redder with anger by the second, "And then you go and assume that I would explode or something if I knew, so let's all keep secrets from Ron! Yeah, sure, I probably would have, but you never gave me a chance!"

"Ron," Hermione said calmly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "We wanted to tell you, we really did, we just didn't want you to freak out."

"You didn't want me to freak out?! Well guess what! I'm freaking out! I can't believe-"

The words came to a halt as Ron's cheek burned from the slap Hermione had just delivered.

"Ronald! Stop this nonsense! Stop it this instance! You're being-"

The sound of Ron's slap against Hermione's face rang through the room as hands shot up to cover gaping mouths.

"Don't you dare slap me Granger!" Eyes widened as everything grew deadly silent. He, Ron Weasley had just called Hermione by her last name. It wasn't the sound of the word coming from his lips, since professors and older students had often called her Granger, but rather that it came from his lips, the lips of one of her longest and closest friends.

Still fuming with anger, Ron shattered the silence.

"What is it now?" he screamed in Hermione's face. She refused to meet his eye. Already she could feel her eyes beginning to tear up. "You think that you're better than me, don't you?! Well guess what!? You're no better than what-"

"Don't say it Weasley." Draco thundered in a demanding voice. Everyone spun around to see his dark figure appear through the portrait hole.

"What are _**you**_ doing here?" Hermione wondered aloud, momentarily forgetting of Ron and what he was saying.

"I just came to get some things." Draco replied smoothly, gesturing towards the thing he was holding.

"Oh," muttered Hermione, rather embarrassed.

"Get the fuck out of here you ferret." Ron shot with clear anger and annoyance vibrated through his tone.

"I'm sorry Weasel, but I do believe this is my dorm room. So I can stay if I choose to stay." Malfoy replied smoothly and Hermione giggled.

"What?! That wasn't funny! It was… uh… just uh…" Ron stuttered

"Aww, Weasel here can't even speak, so sad." Draco drawled with a smirk and he winked at Hermione causing her to giggle once more, until she remembered that she was furious with him. She then shook herself and stood straight, hands on her hips and her eyes glaring at him, forcing him to feel the hurt that he had stirred up inside her.

"Anyways…" she started, eyes turning away from Draco so she might glare at Ron and Harry for interrupting her sleepover and the rather wonderful dream she was having, "Why for Merlin's sake, are you here?" she demanded. The way she spoke to them in her rather Mrs. Weasley-ish stance caused Ron to cower slightly.

"Um, nothing, we just wanted to see you and Ginny that's all." Harry lied, rather horribly.

"Harry, um you have something on your foot." Lavender suddenly pointed out.

"What… oh… uh… thanks Lavender." Harry mumbled, blushing as he tried to indiscreetly pull the toilet paper off of his shoe.

"What on earth is with the… oh no… don't tell me you two…" Hermione shot upstairs into her room. For a second everyone in the Common Room listened nervously in the silence. And then…

**A/N I know all you hate me for ending the chapter here don't you? Well it's okay because I'll post Chapter Seven hopefully soon… as long as my beta doesn't take three weeks to edit it.** **puts her hands on her hips and glares at her beta (hehehe she knows I love her) But now Review!! Ya go push the little button down there and send me a nice comment please. I'm also having writter's block on chapter 18 so if you could all wish me luck with that it would be much appreciated! THANKS! )**


	7. Chapter 7

A/N – Sorry I haven't thanked all of my reviewers yet! And thanks for reading; it means the world to me! 

**Lizzy FINALLY sent it back to me does happy dance but yeah new chapter I hope you love it and I'll hopefully get more chapters up here soon!!!**

Disclaimer: I do not, much to my displeasure, own Harry Potter and any recognizable characters, plots, objects, or places, and etc. They do however belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers and all who are associated with the book and movies.

Chapter 7 

"**HARRY JAMES POTTER! RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY! GET YOUR SORRY BLOODY ARSES UP HERE**_**, NOW**_"

Hermione's screaming vibrated throughout the Common Room.

"What in Merlin's name did you two do?" Ginny whispered to Harry, who gulped when hearing his name.

"Um, nothing." Harry whispered back, eyes frantically searching for an escape of the Hermione wrath.

"HARRY AND RON! DON'T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE!"

Finding no escape, Harry and Ron chose to go down Fred-And-George style. They shared another mischievous look before Harry dramatically scooped Ginny into his arms.

"I love you," his breath tickled her ear as he spoke softly. Then he lifted his head up and proclaimed to the room, "Let it be known that I regret my parting from this life today, only in the respect that it invariably includes my parting from my love."

Ron joined the Insanity Club and pulled Ginny out of Harry's arms. He gave her a mournful hug and declared, "Tell Mum I love her!" before putting down a giggling Ginny and taking a stance by Harry's side.

"Ron, my friend, it seems to me that we are about to run through these corridors for the last time." Harry remarked, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"It seems so," Ron replied in the strange, Old English voice the two of them had been mocking. Then, returning to his normal tone, he looked pointedly at Ginny and then back at Harry as he warned, "But this doesn't mean you're off the hook, yet."

"THAT'S IT! YOU TWO ARE IN FOR IT NOW!" Hermione's yells got louder as they were joined by her angry stomps down to the Common Room.

"OK, time to go!" announced Harry, and he and Ron fled from the room.

A rather angry Hermione appeared in the doorway, finding, as she expected, neither Harry nor Ron.

"Which way did they go?!" she demanded, eyes piercing straight through Ginny.

Ginny, who had seen this rather un-Hermione-ish, almost frightening while somehow hilarious Hermione before, responded calmly. "I don't know, it's not like they were going to wait around and tell me."

Hermione wanted to believe her best friend, even though Ginny wasn't telling the exact truth.

No, she didn't _know_ where they were, but she would bet her life she had correctly guessed where they would be headed- the one place in this entire castle Hermione would never think to look for them. The best part about hiding there was that even by some inconceivable notion Hermione ended up finding them, the respect their best friend had for the hallowed hall, as well as a certain elderly librarian, ensured their protection from an extremely horrible death.

But somehow she couldn't fathom the thought that Ginny did not hold the answer. She exploded, "What do you mean you don't know where they are?! You're Ron's sister and Harry's girlfriend for Merlin's sake! How could you not?!"

"Bloody hell Granger, control your temper." Draco interrupted with his usual drawl. "It's not her fault those two bloody wankers didn't tell her what blasted corner of this gigantic castle they hid from you in when you're about to rip their sodding heads off."

Hermione quickly and quite easily turned her anger towards the blonde Slytherin. "Why are you sticking up for her?! You should be on my side!" she yelled, stomping closer to the focus of her anger at the moment, getting only further driven up the wall by the fact that he had not recoiled into the shadows, but acted as if nothing was different than normal.

"Well I just think you're being unreasonable." Draco stated, walking calmly over to the couch where he could sit.

She followed him hurriedly, not willing to let this argument go that simply. "I'm being unreasonable? I don't think I'm being bloody unreasonable!" she retorted, "They read my bloody diary for Merlin's sake! Not to even mention the fact that they trashed my room!"

Ginny's eyebrows crashed down into her eyes and the curiosity became overwhelming. Knowing that Hermione would never get around to telling her when she was in this state, Ginny snuck upstairs to witness the terror her brother and boyfriend had unleashed on the Head Girl's bedroom.

Draco pondered this for a moment before responding. He knew a girl's diary was extremely private and not to be messed with, but obviously Potter and Weasley had not picked that up. Of course, they had most likely never been jinxed the summer before first year by a certain female friend when she had caught them red-handedly invading her private thoughts… but that had nothing to do with the situation. "Well, I suppose that is understandable, but get real Granger. You're going to take out all that anger on an innocent bystander when Potter and Weasley are the ones deserving a lung-capacity duel?" Draco tilted his head to the side, a new thought bursting into his mind, "How in Merlin's name do you know that they read your diary, anyways?"

Hermione sat down next to Draco heavily and scoffed, "Because the prats were daft enough to leave it open on the floor, that's why."

Slowly the room's other occupants began to sleepily make their way out of the portrait and back to their own dormitories, leaving the Head Boy and Girl to stare into the dancing flames before them.

A/N Ok so I will be switching back and forth from what is happening with Ginny and what is happening with Hermione and Draco, just so ya know! )

Not wanting to make any sound, lest she gets caught and yelled at by Hermione, Ginny slowly made her way up to Hermione's room, wondering what Ron and Harry had done to get Hermione so worked up.

Draco sighed softly and looked over at the girl sitting next to him. She looked so… broken. He thought back to all those times that she had helped him out when times were more than he could bare; had he looked as she did now? Was it this sense of the desire to comfort this broken spirit what she had felt? He reached a hand out, tentatively placing it on her shoulder. "Hermione? Are you alright?"

She shrugged off his hand. "I'm fine," she replied, still glaring at the fire in front of her. Draco sighed, not believing her, but not knowing what he should do. Hermione was much better at this sort of thing than he was.

Silence enveloped them and Draco found himself looking back into the fiery flames that licked through the air, striving to grasp as much oxygen as their greedy red tails could reach. When he spoke again, he found he could not look at her. He gazed into the fire, nearly whispering in the empty room. "I'm sorry," he told the flames, "I... I didn't mean to… I hadn't meant to…my temper sort of took me over the edge..." Draco felt awkward. He had tried to apologize, or at least tell her how bad he felt, but the words were lost to him, he didn't know how to word such an apology, and to top it all off he was nervous about how Hermione would respond to his inadequacy.

Ginny met the slightly ajar door with her hand and pushed it all the way open, peering inside.

Ginny stood in the doorway. "This is what got Hermione into her hissy fit? I thought they let off a crate of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs or something…" Ginny mumbled to herself, walking inside to further admire the work that Ron and Harry did.

Hermione let out a breath she hadn't meant to be holding as she thought abut the words Draco had just professed to her. She knew how difficult and awkward apologizing was for him, and she knew that her explosion before at his one slip-up was a little over edge, and she should probably forgive him… but something held her back. She was so unsure of what to do… Now Harry and Ron knew about her feelings for Draco and she didn't know how she felt about that. Harry and Ron were so important to her, as important as air. She could never wish as much to think that they could one day accept that which had been secretly growing between her and their ex-enemy. Her dreams were nothing but that, dreams. And she was foolish to think otherwise.

But she enjoyed being foolish for once in her life. If this is what being wrong led to, she would fail every test to feel like this. Those times when she was with Draco were some of the best of her life. Yet, her friends knowing about them made her feel guilty, guilty that they existed and guilty that she found so much happiness with him. Still…

"I know," she whispered to the flames. She turned her head to meet his eyes for a brief moment before focusing on the pillow to his left. "I know." She might not have forgiven him quite yet, but she understood that he tried, tried for her.

Though right now, their tension needed to be brushed away for the moment. She needed someone to support her. To simply hold her. Slowly, she turned her body towards his, still focusing on the pillow that stared so invitingly back at her. Wordlessly she met his eyes again, piercing them with a question her voice could not ask right then. Those silver clouds of his stared back into her swirls of earth as she silently repositioned herself by his side. He moved his legs onto the couch as she curled up next to him, practically laying on his side as she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. His long arms that could never quite reach the Golden Snitch encompassed her waist with ease, right hand stroking her long hair. Both sighed softly as Hermione tried to let all thought flow out of her body, closing her eyes and sinking into the comfort she found in the arms of someone she had hated for so many years. Draco returned his gaze to the dangerous flames of red and orange that greedily lapped up the oxygen in the air, thoughts twirling chaotically in his mind as his hand gently moved through those locks of earthen brown.

Ginny wandered over to the book that lied open on the floor, dodging the toilet paper streamers that decorated the room. Stooping down to pick up the book, her eyes scanned its contents, growing wide as she remembered hearing the same story from the writer herself. She understood Hermione's anger with the two boys now; this entry contained some of Hermione's most well-kept secrets, ones that Ginny alone knew in full. Hermione had not even yet confided in Draco how she felt about their relationship. For Harry and Ron to have read this… Ginny did not feel sorry for them anymore. She hoped Hermione would find them. They needed to know that a girl's private thoughts were not to be messed with by a couple of inconsiderate, daft teenage boys. Maybe she should go tell Hermione that Harry and Ron had hidden in the Hogwarts' library. After all, she always put her friends before her boyfriend of the current time, and for Ron? Well he was only her brother.

OKAY!!! I hope you liked it and go press the little button down there and REVIEW!!!! It would make my day and I would love you for like EVER!!! D

**Victoria!!!**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N HEY GUYS! So you all know this chapter hasn't been finished being betaed yet but once it has that one will be up here… and you might want to re-read because me and my beta have stuck our heads together and added a few more things but it's not quite done yet! I'll get that one up ASAP! Along with more chapters but I need to go to bed so I'm just going to get this one up! So sleep well! And I await your reviews…. to my first draft! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I (much to my dislike) do not own any thing that you recognize in this fanfic… all of that belongs to the amazing J.K. Rowling, whom we love and adore for giving us such an amazing series!**

XoXoXoXoXoXo 

Hermione stared at Ginny for a moment, startled by the interruption in her rant.

"What? Oh! Uh, thanks." Hermione said as she stood up and rushed up to her room. At first startled by the absence of toilet paper in her room but she grabbed her wand off of her nightstand, confused by the huge stack of papers sitting next to her want, she left the room walking calmly through the common room, ignoring Draco completely. She made her way towards the exit as Draco grabbed her arm lightly, turning her around gently.

"Please don't do anything rash." Draco asked her and she yanked her arm away from his grasp, turning on her heal and marching straight out of the common room. Hermione stormed down the hall, muttering in anger to herself.

"Don't do anything _rash_? What does he think I'm going to do blow their bloody stupid heads off? He even thinks he can tell me what to do! Well…"

Hermione continued her little rant until she reached the libraby doors and marched through one of the doors and letting the door slam shut behind her, causing a few people to jump including two specific people, startled by the fact that she had found them. They stood up and started to make their way toward a section of the library that was well hidden and hardly anyone went to. 'Stupid idiots' Hermione thought as she followed behind them. Moving through the shelves and stacks, occasionally running her fingers along the spines of the dusty books as she walked towards the back corner of the library. Her pace had slowed down from a brisk jog to a calm slow walk. Slowly she seemed to forget what she was so angry about, and by the time she had caught up with Harry and Ron, she wasn't "livid", sill mad but no longer livid.

"Hermione! We didn't see you! Um… we have to go to … Charms… now…. Uh don't want to be late!" Harry said stumbling as he tried to make up something so they could leave.

"Harry, it's Sunday, there aren't any classes today." Hermione said calmly to the shock of both boys.

"Uh, Hermione, are you still mad at us?" Ron asked while Harry glanced nervously around the room. Hermione paused, was she still mad at them? Well, yes. Nevertheless, was she mad enough to yell at them? Well, reading her diary was wrong and a complete invasion of her privacy so…

"Yes, I'm still mad at you." She said calmly which scared both Ron and Harry. "Although, I'm not going to yell at you. However, I will tell every girl in school that you read my diary if you don't help me with something."

"You're going to blackmail us?" Harry asked totally disbelieving that Hermione would do something to Slytherin like.

"Yes… well I guess Malfoy has rubbed off on me a bit." Hermione said with a bit of bitterness in her voice as she spoke Draco's name.

"Why would telling every girl in school, affect us?" Ron asked bitterly, still upset that Hermione didn't fancy him.

Because no girl wants to date a guy who will sink so low and go read another girl's diary." She smirked at the panicked face on Ron's face, but then she suddenly frowned at the grin plastered on Harry's face.

"What are you so smug about?"

"I already have a girlfriend." Harry said happily while Ron shot him a quick glare, which Hermione caught causing her to have to suppress a giggle.

"Well," Hermione began, regaining her composure, "you might have a very pissed off girlfriend, and I know that would be no 'fun' " The grin across Harry's face disappeared and was replaced with terrified look once again, also the look of disgust on Ron's face at the thought of what kind of "fun" Harry and Ginny had was priceless.

"Um, what do you want us to help you with?" Ron asked nervously as he shook his head trying to clear his head of the thoughts of Harry and his little sister.

"I want you to help me piss off Malfoy." Hermione said simply.

"And how are we going to do that?" Harry asked eagerly, excited about the fact that Hermione was going to let them piss off Draco Malfoy.

"Hmm, I hadn't gotten that far yet." Hermione sat down on the floor, to think, resting her head back on a nearby shelf, and she began to bite one of her nails.

"Oh well we could lock him in the closet with Pansy." Ron suggested, "That girl is so dense that she can't even tell that Malfoy can't stand her, while the entire world has realized that fact."

"No, I don't want to cause him permanent brain damage." Hermione said quickly, she knew what she wanted to do, but she just didn't want to be the one to say it.

"Well, obviously, Malfoy somewhat likes Hermione. So don't you two think that what would piss him off the most is if you to start going out." Harry said. Ron looked shocked that Harry would suggest something like that. However Hermione smiled, because this is exactly what she wanted, she was going to pretend that she no longer liked Draco anymore, and hopeful cause him to think that he had lost her and then try to win her back.

"Um, well, I … uh…" Ron sputtered he wanted t go out with Hermione but he wanted to actually have her not just pretend although maybe she would fall for him after faking going out. It was at least worth a shot he figured.

"That's a good idea, its fine with me as long as it's fine with Ron." Hermione said, hoping Ron would say,

"Yes, it's alright with me." Ron said meekly. Hermione smiled—her plan was working.

"Oh, but you guys might want to wait a few days just so Malfoy doesn't get suspicious." Harry commented, he really didn't want to have Ginny mad at him, so he wanted to make sure this plan went as well as possible.

Hermione nodded in agreement, biting her nail once again in thought.

"Yeah, I guess that would be best." She was a little disappointed that her plan had to be delayed but it was all for she figured it was all for the best.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo 

**So… what did you think?? Note there will be changes… so don't think that this one is as good as it gets… (cause I really think it's a piece of crap….) but that's just my opinion! Tell me what you think and REVIEW! Yes you! REVIEW! It would really make my day **

**All my love**

**Victoria**


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione walked into the head's common room, opened her books and started read, even though she had already finished reading each of her school books about five times, she began to read tem once more in order to keep herself calm.

The most famous hag in England is Black Annis, a one-eyed cannibal with blue skin, long white teeth, and the claws of iron. She is said to dwell in the hill of Leicestershire, in a cave se carved from the rocky terrain with her own fingernails. In front of her cave stands a great oak tree—

"Um, Hermione?" Hermione looked up at Draco who was standing next to her

"Yes?" She said as if nothing had happened before.

"Well I was wondering what you were going to say before you left." Draco said softly.

"Oh! Sorry I forgot what I had said exactly. What happened with Ron kind of made me forget. Sorry!" She smiled apologetically and returned to her book, proving to her that this was going to be harder than she originally thought it would be.

"Oh well, never mind then." Draco said embarrassed that he had brought up the subject. As Draco hurried up the to his dorm, Hermione slammed her head into her book with frustration. Why wouldn't Draco just have let her be?

XoXoXoXoXo

Draco collapsed onto his bed. This had to be one of the worst weekends in his life, he yelled at Hermione after all she tried to do was be nice, and he discovered that she thought that she fell in love with him, mistakenly. But what he didn't get was why Hermione had said "Yes, of course" when he had asked her if they where just friends when she loved him. It didn't make any sense. Maybe he should just go back down there and ask her why.

XoXoXoXoXo

Hermione sat there with her head in her book for quite sometime, trying to think of possible reasons why. Why what though? Even Hermione didn't know. Could it be why she had fallen in love with Draco Malfoy of all people? Or what about, why in Merlin's name was she trying to make him jealous when she was trying to convince herself that she didn't "love" him anymore?

Suddenly she heard a knock at the door. Slowly getting up she made her way to the door slightly thankful that someone had interrupted her train of thought that was just making her feel rather depressed. Opening the door, she was surprised to see no one there and the jumped hat seemed to be six feet in the air when she heard a cough from right in front of her, then quickly realizing that it was Ron.

"What on earth, are you doing under that?"

"Vicky kept following me everywhere I went."

"Oh that little first year from Ravenclaw?" Hermione giggled as Ron nodded. She stepped aside to let him into the room. "I'm surprised Harry let you borrow that, I would have thought that he would rather watch you suffer." Hermione giggled as Ron looked at her questionably, Hermione didn't giggle this much… ever.

"Hermione are you feeling okay?" Ron asked with concern, looking into her eyes to see if there was some hidden reason to why she acting so much more "girly" than normal. Taking her by the hand Ron pulled her over to the couch and sat her down, all the while still giggling. Kneeling on the ground in front of Hermione, holding on to her wrists and looked into her eyes, while his where full of concern.

"Oh Ron, you're so cute!" Hermione giggled, running her hand through his hair. It was then that he heard a creak on the stairs

XoXoXoXo

Draco continued to pace back and forth in his room, trying to think of what to do, when he heard what seemed to be laughter from down in the common room. Curiously, he headed to the door and turned the handle and opened the door ever so slowly, only to hear the laughter grow even more loudly. Stepping out onto the landing he quietly as possible shut the door behind him. And as he slowly made his way down the stairs, he almost fell forward as he accidentally stepped on a creaking step. Avoiding screaming in fright (Although he was a Malfoy and Malfoys did NOT scream in fright) he quickly grabbed the banister and caught his breath before descending the stairs any further. Standing in the shadows of the stairwell Draco had, a clear view of the Common Room.

XoXoXoXo

Ron resisted the urge to turn his head and search the room for the source of the noise, even though he knew where it had come from. He so wanted to look Malfoy in the eye and tell him that Hermione was his now. Ron smiled and pulled Hermione to her feet and wrapped an arm around her waist, he pulled Hermione close and whispered in her ear, "Don't you think this is a little faster, than we had planned?" Hermione nodded slightly and giggled giving the illusion that Ron had said something sweet to her. This caused the young man hiding in the shadows to frown. She ought to be his and Draco knew it. He really did like her. Maybe he even… well it was impossible to tell if he did love her, at times it felt like he did.

Snapping back out of his train of thought, he looked back at the, what seemed to be new couple. They where just standing there talking about Hogsmade with his bloody arms around her bloody waist and her bloody arms around his bloody neck- wait Hogsmade? There where planning a date already?

'This could not be happening already! Maybe I could just waltz on in there and grab my books and start reading while sitting in the chair next to them. They wouldn't dare do anything if I'm in the room."

Quickly plucking up some of the little courage that he had he strolled into the common room as if he didn't care about the scene in front of him. He really could be quite a good actor if the moment called for it. And this, this just happened to be one of those times! He casually made his way over to the bookcase and selected a book called 300 Way to use Rose Roots. Then he turned around and couldn't help but cringe as the newly formed couple giggled behind him. Sighing he made his way over to the chair in front of both the fireplace and Ron and Hermione. The moment he had sat down Hermione turned around and looked at him in complete and utter confusion.

"Um, Malfoy," Draco tried not to cringe noticing that she had gone back to calling him Malfoy once more. "What are you doing?"

"Me? Oh nothing, just reading. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, just wondering." Hermione then pulled Ron over to the couch and sat on top of him, talking into his ear while giggling quite a lot. Draco frowned if he was anyone else but Head Boy he would have hexed Ron a long long time ago. Nevertheless, this was INSANE! No man should ever have to endure such torture! Draco tried to concentrate on his book, trying to clear his mind of the many ways he could possibly kill that weasel. But as time went on it proved to be increasingly difficult. It was about the time that Draco had realized that he had read the same line about ten times when he was startled by a sudden outburst if laughter from the couch that had been the result of a tickle fight. Looking out of the corner f his eye, he saw Ron on top of Hermione who was trying to tell him to stop but was having trouble getting the word out.

About fifteen minutes later Draco was about to head back upstairs and admit defeat. He wondered how much more he could take. His being there was supposed to prevent this sort of thing. Slowly, the laughter stopped and both Ron and Hermione laid on the couch having a silent laughing fit, which slowly turned into smiles. Draco knew exactly where this was headed as he had seen it to many times before. He watched Ron slowly lower head to kiss Hermione's lips. Draco turned away. He couldn't stand to watch as Hermione closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Ron's neck.

Then, suddenly Draco turned around and --


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N!!! hey! Hey! Hey! Yeah I know I left the last chapter in a bit of a cliffy didn't I yeah well now you get to finish the sentence! YAY! Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: Dang… well much to my dismay J.K. Rowling owns everything you see here not me… but the plot is MINE! Muhahahaha!**

**XoXoXoXo**

_Draco turned away he couldn't stand to watch as Hermione closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Ron's neck._

_Then, Draco suddenly turned around and…_

…and then he said to Hermione "Don't we have our Head Duties to attend to Granger?" Hermione quickly pushed Ron off of her in a panic, she had never been late for her Head Duties before and she wasn't about to start now. "Why didn't you say something earlier Malfoy?!" she yelled at him as she ran upstairs to grab her wand, leaving both Draco and Ron in the common room alone.

"She's my girlfriend now Malfoy, you lost her a long time ago."

"On contrary, Weasel face, she will be back in my arms and with me before you know it." Draco smirked, and Ron laughed.

"Yes, she'll come running back to you. The day I fall in love with a blast-ended-skewert."

"Be careful what you say Weasley. It might just come true."

"What is that supposed to be a threat?"

"Perhaps." Hermione suddenly came flying down the stairs and grabbed Malfoy by the hand and dragged him out of the common room.

"See you later Ron!" Hermione called back with Malfoy behind her, blowing a kiss to him as they left the room leaving Ron to his own devices.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

Draco and Hermione raced down the halls towards Professor McGonagall's Room. Finally, reaching the classroom door after running like two maniacs through the halls of Hogwarts. They busted through the doors and stumbled over a few desks as they made their way to the front of the room where Professor McGonagall was sitting grading some papers.

"What in Merlin's name is with all of this racket!" yelled McGonagall as she looked up at the two Head's running through her classroom creating a ruckus as they made their way up to the front panting.

"Professor…we… are… so… sorry… we're… late." Hermione huffed taking many breaths between each word.

"What? You two aren't late," Hermione suddenly looked very relieved. "In fact you two aren't working tonight, if you remember, it's Sunday you have tonight off." Hermione shot a look back at Draco who had suddenly taken up a great interest in the grain patterns in the wood on the floor.

"Oh well I'm very sorry Professor. I guess we forgot that it was Sunday." Hermione said through gritted teeth. "Good night then."

"Good night." Replied McGonagall who ushered them out of the classroom and they both began to head back towards their dorm in stiff silence.

After walking without saying a word for about ten minutes, Draco couldn't take it anymore. "Why in the name of Merlin's green speckled boxers are you going out with that DORK!" he practically screamed at her, startling Hermione momentarily due to the sudden outburst after all that silence. Hermione quickly gained back her composure and thought of an answer to give him.

"Why Malfoy? I thought it would be obvious, to you of all people seeing as you've lived with me for quite some time, I like people who are sweet, funny, considerate, companionate, and don't make fun of me for my blood." She gave him a pointed look, and Draco looked like he had been slapped in the face.

"WHAT! I've changed! After my father died, I realized that I need to think for myself and that everything had taught me was wrong!" Malfoy pleaded with her.

"Malfoy you are assuming that I like you."

"I… I…"

"Malfoy you shouldn't assume things that you don't know are facts."

"Well… do you like me?"

"I don't know Malfoy. I used too… I don't think I do anymore."

"Did you like me when I asked you if we were just friends?"

"Yes"

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING ELSE!"

"CAUSE I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR!"

"How could you possibly think that? All I wanted to hear was the truth."

"Malfoy, you may be the 'Slytherin-Sex god' but you still have a lot to learn about girls."

"You don't like me anymore do you?" Draco asked his gaze fell down cast, Hermione's heart was screaming for her to run into his arms and kiss him senseless but her head, what she unfortunately listened to told her to stay off of him.

"Well… I'm with Ron now."

"So, you could still like me and be with him. Hermione… I mean Granger," Hermione's heart almost broke to hear him call her Granger with such sadness… she could only bear it when she said her name with anger or hatred, and now she was blinking back tears only so Malfoy wouldn't see them. She had to keep up her charade. No matter how much it hurt her to do so. She had started this plan and now. Now she had to finish it.

"Malfoy… I… I… I have to go."

"Back to Weasley right?"

"Look, my heart felt like it was breaking several times the past few months. Every time I saw you snogging some random girl senseless and every time you'd come back to the dorm your clothes all askew from what I'm sure was from shagging some other girl senseless, I wanted to cry my heart out. And I did. You never knew did you. That the mornings that I woke up tired and my eyes puffy and that you thought it was cause I was crying over Ron or Harry or some other stupid reason, you never possibly thought that it could have been all your doing did you. And now, I'm sick and tired of that feeling, so I've tried to get over you." Hermione hopped that she had said that she had tried not that she was actually over him.

"You've tried? Meaning that you've tried but you've been unsuccessful thus far? Meaning I still have a chance?" Hermione sighed and shook her head in frustration at herself. It seemed that her plan was working but not in the way she wanted to, she did kinda want this to last a bit longer than it already was.

"Oh and Her- Granger could you stop with the giggling whenever you're with… Weasley… it's really quite odd to hear you giggle like some girl.

"What I'm not a girl to you?"

"No. you're not a girl you never have been you've been much more than that." Draco ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "At least to me. Um, you probably ought to get back."

"Oh, right. Um… I guess I should." Hermione looked at Draco, all she wanted to do was run up and hug him but was scarred what would happen if she did. Hermione sighed and turned around and began to walk away. Then suddenly stopped, and looked behind her at Draco still standing where she left him. "Are you coming?" Draco looked up at her.

"What?"

"Are you coming back to the dorm, if you're not then I wont just stand here all night."

"Oh, um… yeah I guess." Draco moved over until he was standing next to her. "Milady." He offered her his arm and Hermione laughed as she took it, the mood lightening up dramatically. And they both began to make their way to the Head's dormitory.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N HEY GUYS! SO A NEW CHAPTER! YAY! So I'm kinda changing how I was going to go with my story so if it doesn't make sense let me know so I can make it make sense! Okay? K… Well I hope you like this chapter and I like to thank all the people who have reviewed my stories! It really makes my day and makes me want to write more! So reviews are GOOD! So please review and I'll love you forever! Mwah!**

**Disclaimer: (pouts) I, much to my dismay, do not own any recognizable characters, ideas, locations… ect. They do belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling : )**

**XOXOXOXOXOXO**

Hermione and Draco walked back to their dorm together and if anyone didn't know any better you would have thought that they were a couple. Hermione laughed at something that Draco had said and Draco smiled at just being in her company and the fact that they weren't fighting, something that they both hated.

They finally reached the common room door and both their faces face as they were brought back to reality, Hermione was dating Ron and Draco wasn't about to make her brake-up with Ron for himself. He wanted her to do that only if she wanted to. Draco removed her arm from his Hermione watching him do so trying not to let any tears roll down her face.

"Goodnight Granger." Draco said a bit stiffly.

"Goodnight Malfoy." Hermione said, her eyes still downcast. Draco place his finger under her chin and lifted her face up.

"Keep your chin up, a sad Hermione Granger makes the whole world seem topsy turvy."

Hermione chuckled and gave a small smile. "Well I'll see you in the morning." Draco kissed her cheek and walked around her and walked to the portrait, told it the password and went inside. Hermione stood there for a moment and blinked back all of the tears that had formed in her eyes. She took a deep breath and turned around said the password to the portrait and followed Draco inside.

Hermione stepped inside the common room and saw Ron sprawled out over one of the couches snoring very loudly. Hermione laughed seeing Ron with his mouth wide open, with an arm and a leg over the back of the couch. Hermione then looked up to Draco's staircase that lead up to his dorm and saw his shadow disappear and then heard a door open and close. Hermione sighed and walked over to where Ron was.

"Ron. Ronniekins." Hermione poked his side but he didn't move an inch. Hermione knew that waking Ron up would be difficult, but she really wasn't in the mood to put in a lot of effort tonight. This façade was more difficult than she had thought it would be, and now she cursed her lapse in judgment. "Ronald, it's wakey uppy time." Ron snorted in his sleep and Hermione chuckled, she bent down to his eared and whispered, "Ronnie, my love, would you wake up, PLEASE!" Hermione pulled her head back as Ron jumped when she yelled into his ear, and now she was clutching her sides laughing at the look of panic that covered his face.

"Bloody hell Hermione. Give me a heart attack why don't you." Ron placed a hand over his heart as if to steady it. Hermione looked innocently at him.

"Aww, Ron I didn't do a thing." Ron rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Sure you didn't"

"Honest I swear!"

"Mhmm… anyways why are you back so early, you've only been gone for like fifteen minutes."

"Oh… well Malfoy apparently forgot that we didn't have head duties tonight, because it's Sunday and we never work on Sunday. But Malfoy always remembers that we have Sunday nights off, because he hates having to give up his nights to go patrol the halls." Hermione sighed as she remembered what had just occurred between her and Draco, and wished that she could tell somebody. She could tell Ron and Harry she suspected since they knew how she liked Draco, but she couldn't tell Ron now at the risk of Draco overhearing her poor out her heart to Ron.

Ron nodded in understandment and watched her think things over in her head. She didn't look as pissed off as he would have thought she should.

"Hey Hermione?"

"hmm?"

"Something up?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You just look rather dazed."

"Oh, well I'm just kind of annoyed with Malfoy, you know?"

"Yeah I know." Ron stroked the back of her bushy hair. Hermione smiled and bent down and kissed his cheek.

"You know what Ron? This whole charade is hard work."

"What charade?"

"The whole 'us' charade remember?"

"Oh. Right. Yeah I guess it is." Ron's smile faltered slightly. He had forgotten that he and Hermione weren't really dating. He had fallen asleep with the notion that maybe she really would forget Malfoy and stay with him. But now by the looks of things he could see that there was something that she wasn't telling him. Something that had to do with her and Malfoy.

"Ron, I'm tired."

"You wanna go up to bed?"

"Not really, you wanna sleep with me on the couch?"

"Um, sure I guess." Ron scooted over on the couch to make some room for Hermione to lie down. Hermione rested her head on his arm and pulled his other one so it was draped over her waist. Ron smiled as Hermione closed her eyes and soon Ron followed suit and soon he was asleep so that he didn't notice the tears that fell.

**XOXOXOXO**

**Soooooo… did you like it??? Well I hope you did… but let me know! So please review… good or bad I'll take it all! Even if you want to complain how draco and Hermione will never get together… blah blah blah… that's cool too! I love hearing how my story makes people feel so I can know if I'm doing a good job with it! THANKIES!**

**Love always!**

**Victoria**


	12. Chapter 12

Hermione woke up early the next morning and noticed Ron's arm had pulled her even closer to him. She slowly lifted his arm from around her waist and turned to face him. She looked at him and felt his arm find its way back over her waist and pulled her closer once more. Hermione sighed and rested her head against his chest. She once again became lost in her thoughts about last night and Draco and everything else in her life. She didn't know what she was going to do about this. She had always had a suspicion that Ron had liked her and if it was true she didn't want to hurt him and if she was hurting him now with this façade she didn't want to do so anymore. Hermione looked up to Ron's face and was surprised to see him looking back down at her.

"Hey."

"Hey. I didn't realize you were awake."

"Just woke up. You been awake long?"

"Not really. Been thinking mostly."

" 'Bout what?"

"Nothing much just random stuff, what I've got to do today, homework, Malfoy, you, this book I want to read that I don't know if the library has it or not, head duties, oh and class today." She said quickly.

"Oh, I'm hungry." Hermione laughed.

"Ron you're always hungry." Ron shrugged.

"What's your point?" Hermione rolled her eyes and sat up, and soon Ron did as well. "It's Monday."

"Very good Ron." Ron smiled, and wrapped his arm around her waist and placed other hand on her face, brought her face to his, and gently kissed her.

"Morning." Ron said as her pulled back.

"Morning." Hermione smiled, and inside her head she sighed, she considered all the possibilities of what could happen next, and what did even surprised her.

Hermione placed her hand on the back of Ron's head and pulled him back in for another kiss. Soon Hermione was on her back participating in a massive snogging session. Hermione quickly realized that if felt like she was making out with her brother (if she had a brother).

Unknowingly to her and the young man that was on top of her, someone had just woken up and as per tradition he was coming down the stairs to get a glass of water from the small kitchen in the Head's Dormitory.

XoXoXoXoXoXo

Draco was extremely tired. He had not slept well last night, most likely due to the events that occurred between Hermione and him last night. He walked through the common room muttered "Morning" to the snogging couple on the couch not entirely comprehending what was going on between the two of them. Draco tiredly made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water from the sink. Draco turned and rested his back on the counter and was about to take a sip from the cup when his mind had finally processed what was going on just outside the kitchen in the common room. The glass slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor, resulting in a shard of the glass cutting his foot. Draco cursed at the sudden feeling of pain that coursed through his foot and looked at his hands that had grasped his foot which were now covered in blood. Draco tried to stand up so he could make his way to the Hospital Wing but he couldn't move anywhere without stepping on some piece of glass that would result in him becoming even more injured than he already was. Hermione, to his surprise, ran into the room, Ron following closely behind her. Hermione quickly assessed the scene and delicately made her way over to where Draco was crouched onto the floor. Ron stood back on the other side of counter and looked at Draco's attire, which was just a pair of boxer shorts and a muscle shirt, and glared at him. Something that had not gone unnoticed by Draco.

"Got a problem Weasel face?"

"Yeah with you."

"Boys! This is not the time!" Hermione yelled at the two of them who then setteled for glaring at one another. Hermione rolled her eyes, and stood up. "Well I'm going to need to take you up to the Hospital Wing. Just let me go grab my wand so I can get you out of here." She looked at the two boys and they both nodded all the while still glaring at each other. "And don't do anything to each other. Kapeesh?" The two boys nodded once more and Hermione left the room hoping that they really wouldn't do anything to each other.


	13. Chapter 13

**HEY GUYS! CHAPTER 13! YAY! Hope y'all like it! Sorry it took me so long. But I had a bad case of writer's block! Ick. So enjoy! And please R&R! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: all of this that you recognize (unfortunately for me) belongs to J.K.Rowling.**

Ron began to quickly make his way towards the Gryffindor Common Room., his back slightly sore from sleeping on that couch all night long. Upon reaching the common room he hesitated going inside as he heard quite loud yelling coming from the inside.

"What in Merlin's name is going on in there?" he wondered a loud.

"Oh dearie, some silly couple is having a fight. I believe it's the girl with the red hair and her boyfriend." The fat lady told Ron who looked at her in shock. "Would you like to go in? If so I need the password.

Ron sighed, knowing that he was going to have to deal with this new problem in one way or another. "Montano" Ron muttered. The Fat Lady swung open and the yelling that was coming from the inside was even louder than before. Stepping inside he had to immediately to avoid being hit by a flying vase that smashed on the wall behind him. When Ron looked up he saw a few terrified first years cowering in a corner and others trying to get out of harms way.

"I can't believed you kissed her!" Ron's head snapped up upon hearing this, making sure that it was in fact Ginny and Harry fighting, and soon realizing that it was.

"I didn't Gin! She kissed me! I pushed her off of me right away!" Harry tried to explain to her.

"Oh of course Potter," She spat his name as if it was vile thing on her tongue as tears streamed down her face, "And tell me this! Why would Millicent kiss you when 1. She's in bloody soddin' Slytherin. And 2. WHEN EVERYSINGLE GOD DAMN PERSON IN THIS SCHOOL KNOWS THAT WE'RE DATING?!" Harry ducked as Ginny threw what appeared to be another vase at Harry. Ron coughed, in the brief moment of silence hoping that it wouldn't bring to much attention to himself but enough so he could say he tried to help. Unfortunately for him everyone noticed.

"R-ron what are you doing here?" Harry asked nervously as if he could see Ron ripping out his guts and feeding them to the first blast-ended skwert he found. Ginny had run straight into his arms and started to cry her heart out on his chest, muttering things like "I hate him" and "I'll never date".

"Harry, you… how… you…" Ron was at a loss for words, although that wasn't unusual for him.

"Ron. I swear I didn't kiss her! It was Millicent Bulstrode! It was positively disgusting!" Harry pleaded trying to get Ron and Ginny to believe him, also trying to ensure that Ron wouldn't rip him to shreds. Ron nodded as he mulled it over in his mind. Millicent wasn't one of the people that Harry talked about in a fond way, and no where near the way he talked about Ginny. Ron looked down at Ginny who was now was looking at Harry, tears still trickling down her face.

"Ginny, I believe him." Ron said and Harry took a deep breath of relief hoping that if Ron believed him then Ginny would too. "Harry really does love you Ginny." Ginny looked at Harry and Harry nodded enthusiastically.

"I-I I still don't know. I mean what reason would she want to kiss you unless there was something funny going on?" Ginny sniffled and Harry looked taken aback.

"gin, you know I love you and that I would never hurt you in anyway." Harry pleaded. Harry looked at him and saw that his eyes where glistening with unshed tears.

"Harry, mate, are you crying?" Ron asked in disbelief that his ever strong friend would break down like this. Harry shook his head while turning around to wipe the tears that had gathered in his eyes. His thoughts quickly began to wonder.

'_She really doesn't believe me, not that I can blame her, after all I had just told me that she was my one and only and then something crazy like that happened. I don't blame her for not wanting to be with me anymore.'_

Harry took a deep breath and tried to turn around but he couldn't will himself enough to make him face Ginny.

"Ginny," he paused as he heard her draw in a sharp breath, he figured it was because he hadn't called her Ginny in months, sighing he started once again. "Ginny, look I don't blame you, you really don't deserve this. I don't blame you for wanting to end things with me" Harry hung his head and began to make his way to the seventh year boy's dormitory.

**XoXoXoXoXo**

**HEY GUYS! Tell me what you think! Cause I'll love you FOREVER!!!**

**Lots of love!**

**Sarah**


	14. Chapter 14

Hermione and Draco made their way towards the hospital wing, neither one saying a word, both immersed in their own thoughts.

Hermione looked over to Draco who was concentrating on not putting a lot of weight on his injured foot or at least that what it appeared to be as he would cringe every once in a while.

_I really hope that he isn't to upset about what he saw this morning—I really do hope his foot is alright. It's not like him to be clumsy. – I do hope that Ron wont be there when we get back to the common room I'd really like to be alone with Draco and talk about everything._

Hermione turned her head away from him and focused more on moving forward towards the hospital wing. Now it was Draco's turn to look at her. He squinted his eyes slightly in slight fury about what he had seen this morning.

_I can't believe that she's dating the IDIOT! What in the name of Merlin was she thinking! I'll tell you what she was thinking. She wasn't thinking! For Merlin's sake! I don't know how much longer I can take this! And here she is helping me to the hospital wing like she's the best person in this bloody soddin' world!_

"Good god Granger what's the mater with you!" Draco suddenly shocked that his thoughts had come out of his mouth. Hermione turned and looked at Draco bewildered.

"What the hell Malfoy what are you going on about?" Hermione said who was slightly shocked by this sudden outburst.

"I – I... I mean why are you dating that bloke?"

"First of all, Ron's not a bloke. And second we talked about this last night, Malfoy."

"I know, but Weasley of all people? I still don't understand."

"Well maybe you weren't ment to understand Malfoy. You know you still are that arrogant little boy I knew so long ago."

Malfoy was taken aback. He had thought that they we're past the past, and here she is telling him that he hasn't changed.

"What are you talking about Granger?" he growled pissed that she had told him that he was an arrogant boy.

"I mean you still think that everything revolves around you. Despite what good you've done, you'll still go back to everything that you always were."

Hermione beat back tears, she didn't want to tell him this, but she felt that it needed to get out in the open.

"Fine Granger if that's how you feel then I'll keep going to the hospital wing on my own. I wouldn't want to be a bother to you."

Hermione's eyes fell to the floor.

"I'm not leaving you."

"Oh and why is that?"

"Cause I can't stand to see you hurt."

"Don't bother Granger I don't want you're pity."

Draco shook off Hermione arm from around his waist and removed his arm from over her shoulder. Leaving Hermione standing there in shock.

What had she done.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N Hello again… so I've been typing like a mad woman lately. So many stories and so little time! AH! Scary. Yes well I hope you do enjoy this next chapter. Hopefully chapters will be appearing more often, because the other place where I'm posting them requires I post a new chapter every 30 days otherwise my story become inactive and we can't have that! Nope. So I hope you like this next chapter!

Oh and if you wanted to know. I've posted up a new song-fic. So it's there if you'd like to read it

**Much love **

**Victoria.**

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……………………

Chapter 15

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Hermione watched Draco's back as he made his way, on his own, to the hospital wing.

It was at that point that Hermione almost fell down to the floor and broke down into tears.

Hermione looked up to the ceiling and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall down her face. She took a deep breath. This, she decided, was not going to conquer her.

She lowered her head back to a normal level and took a deep breath. No, this wouldn't affect her. Her life was better without him. She would make her life better without him, despite what her heart was now screaming at her to do, to run to Draco and fall into his arms and kiss him passionately.

No, she would listen to her head that had guided her throughout her entire life. She would think reasonably and do what everyone expected of her. She would be with Ron, graduate at the top of her class, help Harry defeat Voldemort, and then live her life like she was expected to. Never, doing anything rash of the sort.

Sighing once more as she realized the life that lay ahead of her, she turned around and walked away toward the Head Dorm's to start up her life heading in a new direction.

Meanwhile.

Draco headed towards the hospital wing alone, becoming more and more furious. However, not with Ron or Hermione or some other person, but with himself. He was such a fool. How could he have been such an idiot by telling her to sod off? Especially after she had just told him—well it didn't matter now. He had screwed up, and badly. He had a hard time controlling his rage these days and often took it out on the person he cared the most about, Hermione.

Draco pushed the door to he hospital wing as he hobbled through it, making his way over to a bed to wait.

"Mr. Malfoy, what is it today?" Madam Pomfrey said as she made her way to him as she came out of her office.

Malfoy gestured to his foot and the nurse sighed.

"Now how in the blazes did you manage to do that?"

"Dropped a glass on it, and I couldn't remember the spell."

"What about Miss Granger? She would have known for sure. Moreover, why isn't she here? I would have thought she'd have helped you at least."

"Um, I wouldn't let her." Malfoy muttered.

Madam Pomfrey sighed at, what she thought to be, Draco's ignorance.

"Well next time I suggest you do let her help you. She isn't the brightest witch we've had in ages for nothing you know." Draco nodded his head but Madam Pomfrey didn't see. She pulled her wand out of her robes and began to miraculously heal (unless you're a wizard) Draco's foot in a matter of seconds.

"Next time, please let Miss Granger work her magic instead of hobbling yourself up here if it's something this minor please."

"Yes Madam." Draco bid Madam Pomfrey his thanks, and walked out of the Hospital Wing, intent on telling Hermione exactly how sorry he was. It was then Draco remembered the state of his attire.

"Oh bugger." Draco rushed into the nearest bathroom and summoned his robes.

He couldn't be taken very seriously if he was still in his boxers could he?

YAY! That was hard work… totally changing how everything I originally planed. That's kind of scary.

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**Well please REVIEW! Please. Pretty Please. : ) I'd love you much!**

**Victoria**


	16. Chapter 16

A/N HELLO. So I've posted two chapters in one day. That's really odd for me but it's been a good weekend and I've been bored so I've decided to sit down and type my heart out! Whoo… it's been a long day. : )

**Well I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I do!**

**Much love!**

**Victoria!**

Ginny looked at Harry's back as he began to head towards the boy's dormitory. She couldn't think of what to say to him, but she did realize that she was being irrational. Harry and Millicent? Millicent was the ugliest girl in the entire 7th and 6th years and didn't even have a great personality, Harry wouldn't cheat on Ginny with her.

She let go of Ron who then let go of her in return and she began to make her way upstairs, to Harry, and upon reaching the 7th year boy's room she heard someone crying from the inside. She knocked on the door and the quickly opened it.

"Harry?" she called out softly into the darkened room. Slowly she walked very to the bed that she figured was Harry's, after all it was the only bed that had its curtains drawn around it. Making her way to the bed she slowly drew open the curtains and only saw the imprint of a person sitting on the opposite side of the bed. It was obvious to her that Harry was under his invisibility clock and that he didn't want her to see him.

Ginny's thought were going about a million miles per hour. Should she sit here and wait for him to reveal himself? Or just leave and not talk to him until breakfast that is if he would even come to breakfast.

On the other hand, she could sit here and talk to what appeared to be nothing.

Ginny sighed as she sat down on the bed and looked down at the floor.

"Harry, listen even if you don't want me to see you just listen to me, please." Ginny sighed as she heard a rustling of material behind her but she pretended she didn't notice. "I love you. I love you more than I've loved anyone else before and it's hard for me to see someone else kissing you or holding your hand or doing stuff that we do together with you. Look, Harry, I love you, and I guess that I-I just got jealous. And I know that I should be able to trust you, and I do. And I know that you wouldn't do something like that to me, to us. And instead of getting mad at Bullstrode I got mad with you and—and I'm sorry.

There were now more tears falling down her face than before. She was scared that she had lost Harry forever because of her temper. Harry was the only man (besides her brothers) that had actually given her the respect and love that she deserved, and now it seemed as if that was all coming apart. Ginny tuned around and place her hand behind her where she thought Harry was, only to find her hand falling through air. She quickly turned around in surprise and patted the entire bed in search for Harry; only to find out he was no longer there. She quickly walked around the room, passing Ron's and Neville's and then Dean's and Seamus's beds. It wasn't until she came back to Harry's that she saw him sitting on the floor. Harry looked up at her and she saw the remnants of his tears. She knelt down by Harry and looked deeply into his eyes, which were filled with both happiness and sadness. Harry reached out and grabbed her hand and massaged it gently with his own. He looked down at her hand and appeared to be studying every wrinkly, every freckly, the way her knuckles and fingers looked, even the softness of them against his own calloused hands.

"Gin," he murmured, "I don't know what I'd do without you." Harry suddenly said, chocking on his own words as he tried not to cry. Ginny reached out and touched his cheek causing Harry to look up at her.

"Lets hope you never have to find out." And with that she kissed his forehead as he sighed in relief. Ginny slowly pulled away and closed her eyes and let her mind relax. Everything was back to the semi-normalness that she had come accustomed to.

Harry's hand was still holding her own as he reached up with his other hand and touched her cheek causing her to gently shudder at his touch. He brought her lips to his own, and brought her into a soft loving kiss full of his love for her and the relief that she was still his, and only his. Ginny slowly fell to the floor bringing Harry with her, moving so that she was on top of him. The kiss continued never getting to be to passionate and swept away from the moment, just a simple kiss that neither wanted to end, almost in fear that the other would disappear from their lives if they broke apart.

It wasn't until there was a knock at the door that they separated, still holding each other close. Harry, ever reluctantly told the person at the door to come in as Ginny softly rested her head on his shoulder.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N Hello! It's another chapter! YAY! And ack I feel like the quality of my fic is rapidly decreasing! Could you please let me know if you feel the same, if it's not well that just means I'm crazy insane, which is perfectly normal. Otherwise I'll work hard to improve the quality until it meets it's previous standards!

**Much Love**

**Victoria!**

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**Chapter 17**

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Hermione continued to make her way towards the Head's dorm, and away from him. He had been the reason for all of her problems, he always caused her more misery than she needed and he never seemed to truly care for anyone except for himself.

"Stupid Malfoy." Hermione muttered to the ground. Her feet continued to take her further and further away from him.

Hermione had no idea where her feet where leading her but before she knew it she ran into a couple who were walking around the corner.

"Sorry" she muttered as she kept walking on.

"Watch where you are going next time mudblood!" a male voice yelled back at her, Hermione stopped for a moment and clutched her fists in her brief moment of rage.

"Great now I have to wash—Malfoy what the bloody hell are you doing?" The male voice sounded somewhat surprised and as Hermione turned around, her eyes widened in shock to what she saw. Draco with his wand pointed at Blaise's throat. She quickly ran back towards Draco, Blaise, and what looked to be Pansy, the later two still holding hands.

"Draco," Pansy whimpered as Hermione was mere meters away from the three, "Please don't be ma, I love Blaise and I—" Malfoy gave her a look that shut her up immediately.

"I don't care if you love Blaise," Malfoy looked at Blaise, "You take back what you said."

"What are you talking about? Mate I think you've gone bloody daft."

"Malfoy, what in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?" Hermione yelled.

"Go away Granger." Malfoy said through gritted teeth.

"Not until you put your wand down!"

"Granger you don't get it, and you never will!"

"Then explain it to me! I can't understand until you do otherwise!"

"I can't!"

"And why not!"

" I just can't! Like I said, you wouldn't understand anyways!"

Blaise coughed bringing the two's argument to a sudden stop.

"Um, is there something going on between you two?" Blaise asked with a curious look on his face his eyes darting back and forth from Hermione and Draco's raging faces.

"Of course not, except my roommate is a complete arse and I don't give a damn about him anymore!" Hermione yelled and saw the flicker of sadness that flashed briefly in his eyes. She promptly turned around and began to walk away from him.

"Good. Now I won't have to talk to you any longer!" Malfoy called after her and turned to walk away when he felt Blaise's hand on his shoulder.

"What do you want?"

"Look, mate, just don't get to involved with that girl, she's a mudblood remember?"

"I know but—"

"But what… you don't actually like her do you?"

"No more than I need too but she can start to grow you like a fungi. It bugs the shit out of me." Draco lied and he figured Blaise had noticed but Pansy was to dense to tell.

"Oh, Poor Draco, do you want me to spread a nasty rumor about her?"

"No, that'll just make living with her even more unbearable." Draco said as he sat down on the ground and placed his head in his hands, Pansy pouted at the loss of being able to start another horrible rumor about the head girl.

"Mate, just… just don't anything stupid." Blaise warned.

"You to mate, after all I am betrothed to that girl on your arm. I don't mind, but our—"

"Parents, I know. Thanks for being so understanding, we'll have to rant about that issue again sometime."

"Like I care."

"You going to breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'll just have to grab my bag before I go."

"See you around Malfoy."

"Yeah whatever." Malfoy turned around and headed back to the Head's dorm.

XoXoXoXoXoXo

Hermione had finally made it back to the dorm and was now lying on the couch screaming her lungs out into a pillow, all the while having the WizRadio blasting out music. She kept wishing that Malfoy would just sod off and leave her alone for a while, but the part of her that loved Malfoy was broken hearted. Hermione continued to yell foul things into her pillow about Malfoy. Mostly about what a bastard he could be and how much of a git he was… only using the nastiest words she could come up with, and those were some nasty things. ( A/N That shall not be mentioned, as they could possibly bump up the rating of this fic)

She continued to yell… completely unaware that Draco had entered the room and standing behind the couch. Figuring he had heard enough he coughed giving Hermione quite a fright. She quickly sat up and looked Draco square in the eye with a death glare.

"What the hell do you want Malfoy?" she sneered.

"Language Granger."

"Piss off." She told him. Malfoy was shocked Hermione never cussed in front of people, or at least when she knew people where present. Not to mention the look in her eyes, that was terrifying.

"Honestly, can't even have a decent conversation anymore." Malfoy huffed and stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked up to his own dorm, leaving Hermione once more alone in their shared common room.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N Hello again! I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while but it has been extremely CRAZY around here! Hopefully when school starts back up everything will be less crazy and I'll be able to post more often: D

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you recognize, they all belong to the wonderful woman known as JK Rowling.

Chapter 18

Ron paced back in forth in the Gryffindor common room after realizing the situation he was in. His book bag was lying on his bed. Which _conveniently_ happened to be in the same room that Harry and his sister where "making up" in. Ron plopped down on the couch, feeling very frustrated. There really wasn't much he could do. It wasn't like he could march upstairs, burst through the door, and grab his book bag while the couple where working things out. _'Oh bugger' _Ron thought to himself. This was a tight spot. He had to get that book bag somehow, or else that would just leave Hermione and Draco alone even longer than he would like. Oh, this was not good. Ron looked up at the clock, Ginny and Harry had only been alone upstairs for just a few minutes, although to Ron it felt much longer. He stood back up and began to pace. He wasn't going to let the ferret weasel his way back to Hermione. Not if he could do anything to prevent it. And by Merlin's name that was exactly what he planed to do. He would stop that ferret from getting anywhere close to Hermione's heart. That is, any closer than he already was.

Ron glanced up the stairs that lead to the 7th year boy's dorm. His mind was clouded by jealousy and he began to forget about the situation at hand. Nothing was going to stop him now. He was going to show Hermione that he was what she wanted, what she needed. Not that blasted Malfoy. No sir. He knew what was best for her and for everybody. Nothing was going to get in his way. Even if he had to hurt the one person this was all about to do it.

He stood up straight and marched over to the stairwell. Nothing now was going to stop him. He'd pound that ferret into the ground for even looking at her unless it was a look of utter disgust. He continued to march up the stairs until he got to the seventh year dorm. He reached for the handle and was about to burst through when for a moment, his last moment of sanity, he stopped and thought better. He knocked on the door, and waited until he heard that it was okay for him to come in. He opened the door swiftly and quietly and grabbed his bag from off of his bed. And walked right back out the door closing the door quietly behind him. It was then that all of his sanity flew out the window. He ran down the stairs, through the common room, and jumped out the portrait hole. He glanced up and down the corridor and turned to sprint down the halls that lead to Head dormitory.

XoXoXoXo

Hermione still lay on the couch with a pillow over her head minutes after Draco had gone up the stairs that lead to his dorm. Hermione sighed and sat up and started to massage her temples. She soon stood up and looked up the stairwell that led to Draco's room, she thought about going up there to talk to him, to apologize for all that's happened, but remembered what he had said to her. Every harsh word that he had said that weekend and decided it wasn't her that needs to do the apologizing.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Hello! Here's chapter 19 of my story! Sorry I haven't posted for so long but it was end of term, which means FINALS! Blech. Luckily, I did well on all of them! Hope you enjoy the next installment!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the world of Harry Potter. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 19

Ron had finally gotten to the head portrait and knocked urgently. He pressed his ear against the canvas, much against the portrait's resident protests. He heard nothing so he knocked again hoping that Hermione hadn't left already.

"You going to get that Granger?" Ron heard Draco shout from the inside.

"Why don't you get it you lazy jerk!" Ron heard Hermione shout back. Ron jumped back knowing that someone would be coming to open the door and by the sound of it, it was going to be Draco, much to his displeasure. Ron crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall next to the portrait and waited for the door to open. He could hear some cursing coming from the other side of the door and cringed slightly when he realized that it was the ferret face himself coming to open the door. The painting slowly opened and Ron saw a wisp of blonde hair, confirming that it was indeed Draco who had come to get the door.

"Oh it's you. What do you want?"

"Hermione, now if you could just let me in--"

"And if I don't?"

"Just let me in."

"No."

"And may I ask why not, or is it just because your and arrogant bastard."

"How about I don't want your poorness mucking up my common room."

"And what, Hermione doesn't do that already for you?"

"What?"

"Since Hermione is such 'a mudblood' I would figure that she would muck up the common room for you more than anyone else ever could."

Draco looked at Ron in shock, he didn't just say that he saw Hermione as a mudblood, did he?

"What did you say weasel face?"

"Are you hard of hearing? Hermione is 'a mudblood.'"

Draco jumped down from the portrait hole and landed gracefully on the floor below.

"That's where I draw the line." Draco pulled his fist back and landed it on Ron's freckled face. Ron stumbled back in surprise from the attack and rubbed his jaw before he came flying back and tackled Draco to the ground, his fists wailing on his face and chest. Draco fought back with impressive furry. The two students rolled around on the ground, trying to cause as much damage to the other as possible.

"What is going on here?" A voice sounded from above the battling seventh years, which neither of them heard. Hermione's anger boiled up rapidly as she pointed her wand at the pair and froze them mid-punch. Their eyes swiveled up to her and fear flashed across both of their eyes.

"Now. When I unfreeze the two of you you'll explain what the HELL is going on here!" Hermione pointed her wand at the two of them once more and muttered the counter curse, and Ron and Draco scrambled up off the floor both supporting various cuts and bruises, both preparing themselves for the intense yelling that they were about to hear from the Head Girl.

"I can't believe this from either of you. You are both mature enough to not have to resort to fighting to sort out any matter. I would have never expected any of this from either of you. Especially you Draco. You're head boy! You know you could loose that if you do something like this. Now I'll let you both off today with detentions for a month for Ron and 150 points from Slytherin." Draco and Ron's mouths both dropped.

"Hermione, you're going to give me detention for a month with N.E.W.T.S. coming up? Have you gone daft?" Ron asked, shocked at her actions. Draco shot Ron a quick glare knowing that they actually deserved at lot worse than what she was giving him.

"Fine make that a month and a half." Ron gapped at Hermione and was about to say more when Draco intervened.

"If you want more keep talking." Ron instantly shut his mouth.

"Now I'll make up some other excuse for you the two of you getting detentions and points taken away and heal those cuts and bruises but if I ever find either of you doing anything like this again, I won't stop the teachers from getting involved and give you the punishments you two actually deserve. Understand?" Hermione glared at both of them, and both of them nodded their heads. Hermione pointed her hand toward the portrait. "Now get inside."

Draco muttered the password and stepped inside as the portrait swung open. Hermione was about to step inside when she turned to the portrait,

"Please don't tell anyone what happened here. I don't want anything to severe to happen to them." The portrait nodded in understanding and Hermione gave a weak smile. "Thank you." Hermione muttered and stepped through the portrait. It was going to be a very long day.

A/N: Now if you could review, pretty pretty please. That would make my day! So, press that little button down there and review!!! YAY!!!


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: HELLO GUYS! I'd like to thank all of my readers for staying with me for so long! It really means a lot to me! And tomorrow I should be posting another chapter!! So please stay tuned!!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that relates to the wonderful world of Harry Potter… I only own this stupid cold… belch…

Chapter 20

Draco and Ron stood in the Head common room as Hermione healed their visible wounds and sprained bones they had, but left the bruises they had that were hidden by their clothes in order to remind them of what they had done to themselves and maybe next time they would think better. Hermione glanced up at the clock.

"Well now there is barely anytime for breakfast I suggest you run if you want to get at least a normal amount to eat." Hermione mumbled and sat down on the couch and closed her eyes. Ron nodded and began to head out the portrait but soon realized that Draco hadn't moved an inch. He turned back around and saw him gazing at Hermione's tired and frustrated frame. Ron once more felt the urge to run up and punch Draco across the face, but he figured that this time Draco wouldn't fight back. Ron let the portrait swing back shut and stood in the shadows of the alcove, and watched Draco with a hawk like stare.

Draco moved over to the other side of the couch and sat down next to Hermione.

"What are you still doing here. You should go get breakfast." Hermione spoke softly.

"You should too, you shouldn't go to class on an empty stomach."

"I'm fine. You really should go to breakfast."

"I know I've been really difficult for you this weekend. I'm sorry."

"You've been saying that a lot lately."

"What?"

" 'I'm sorry.' You've said that a lot lately."

" I know I have been, but I don't know what else to do or say. I'm still new at this apologizing thing after all."

Hermione smiled and opened her eyes.

"How about not doing stuff where you would have to apologize to start."

"I think I can do that."

"Well you better. I don't know how many more hectic weekends I can take."

"I know what you mean. Now would you please let me take you down to breakfast?"

"I suppose. I'm not all that hungry though." Hermione said right before her stomach growled.

"Well apparently you are, now lets go."

Draco quickly stood up and stretched out his hand for Hermione to grasp. He pulled her up off the couch and resisted the urge to pull her into him and snog her senseless.

" I can't believe Weasley left you here." Draco muttered. "He's supposed to be your boyfriend."

"Yeah well, that's Ron, always thinking about his stomach."

"He should be thinking about you instead of his stupid stomach. That's what I'd do." Draco told her as they walked through the portrait and let it fall shut behind him.

Ron walked out of the shadows and the rumble that he had felt in his stomach turned into a pang of guilt.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N Hello! And here is… as promised… the next chapter! I really do hope that you enjoy it! And Please Read and Review THANKS!!!

Disclaimer: this fanfic is not endorsed by Hogwarts, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros, Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Quidditch, Wizards, Muggles, Deathly Hallows, Half-Blood Princes, Orders of the Phoenixs, Goblets of Fire, Philosophers Stones, Chambers of Secrets, Prisoners of Azkaban, DVD's or any other official Harry Potter source.

Chapter 21

Hermione and Draco approached the Great Hall doors.

"Well this is where I leave you."

"Oh such a pity. To bad we have double potions together."

"I know. How horrible is it that I have to sit in the same room as you for two whole hours."

Draco sarcastically spoke as he inspected his fingernails. He looked up from his perfectly manicured hands and looked into Hermione's eyes. "Will you sit by me today?"

"You sure you won't mind. I can be a bit of a perfectionist and OCD about potions."

"Well, I'll stop Snape from grilling you harshly and I'll have a perfect potion." Hermione raised an eyebrow at the last bit of his sentence.

"So I'm your key to a good grade?" Hermione questioned.

"Well I do, on rare occasion enjoy your company."

"Well Mr. Malfoy, it's a date." Hermione stuck out her hand in a very business like manner, which Draco eagerly grasped and shook. Hermione turned and walked into the Great Hall and passed the Slytherin table first.

"So it's a date eh?" Malfoy shouted toward her, which caused almost all the heads in the Great Hall to turn.

"Oh shove off Malfoy! I'll see you later." She yelled back over her shoulder and approached the Gryffindor table, and sat down at an empty spot and grabbed a piece of toast and some eggs and placed them on her plate. She wasn't left alone for long however as Lavender and Parvati sat down on either side of her.

"So, Hermione." Lavender drawled.

"What?"

"We hear that you're dating Ron Weasley."

"Yeah, so."

"So it's true? You're actually dating Ron Weasley?" Parvati asked stunned.

"Last I checked." Hermione mumbled however she wished that it wasn't true.

"I can't believe it I always thought that you'd go for someone else." Parvati muttered.

"Well Ron has always liked Hermione." Lavender stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What? What do you mean Ron has always like me?" Hermione asked stunned. Parvati and Lavender gaped.

"You mean to tell us that you never knew that Ron liked you? Why else would he have given you the cold shoulder when you went out with Krum or Cormac. It's obvious that he's liked you for ages." Lavender said in shock.

"Fascinating. I'll have to talk to Ron about it later."

"Where is Ron by the way? He should be here with you right? Since you two are dating." Parvati asked while looking up and down the Gryffindor table

"He had some homework to catch up on, and I insisted that he do it." Hermione lied, she figured that this wouldn't be the last time either that she would have to lie for Ron. "Um, I'm going to head to class. She you two later."

Hermione stood up and made her way toward the double doors, she could feel Draco's eyes following her and when she looked over to him, he looked like he was ready to follow her out. Hermione shook her head and mouthed 'bathroom.' Draco nodded and relaxed back into his seat and continued to eat the rest of his breakfast.

Hermione was just passing the Slytherin table, the last table to pass before exiting the Great Hall when Ron walked in. He almost stopped when he saw her heading his way. Hermione had seen him too, and was now formulating what to do. She knew that word had gotten out that they were "dating" and she couldn't just ignore him anymore. Hermione smiled as she walked up to him and gave him a hug, which Ron hesitantly returned. Hermione gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"I'll see you in class." Hermione said and Ron nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'll see you in class."

"I'm sitting next to Draco today by the way."

"Don't you think we should sit next to each other since we're going out now?" Ron said a little to quickly.

"Do you have a problem with me sitting next to Draco?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes. He's a foul git, why would you want to sit next to him anyways. Why do you even like him?"

"Honestly, lets not do this here, not now. I just want, at least, a stress free hour."

"Fine. But I'm not done with this."

"Ronald, I'm sure you never will be." Hermione sighed. "See you." She side stepped Ron and continued out of the Great Hall but not without sparing a glance once more down the Slytherin table toward a certain blonde who's eyes where making their way to the Gryffindor table, and if looks could kill someone would have died instantly. It didn't take Hermione three guesses to figure out who it was.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N – hey guys!!! So this chapter kinda got away from me. It's longer than I had originally intended it to be but I'm sure you'll have no problem with that! Enjoy! And REVIEW!!! Please!

Love!

Vicky

Disclaimer: _T__his fanfic is __not endorsed by Hogwarts, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros, Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Quidditch, Wizards, Muggles, Deathly Hallows, Half-Blood Princes, Orders of the Phoenixs, Goblets of Fire, Philosophers Stones, Chambers of Secrets, Prisoners of Azkaban, DVD's or any other official Harry Potter source._

Chapter 22

Draco laughed at Hermione's comment, as he made his way toward the Slytherin table and sat between Blaise and Pansy.

"Nice to see you two together." Draco said and Blaise sent a glare in Draco's direction as Pansy momentarily stopped mid-sentence in her conversation with Millicent.

"So, how's life going with the bushy haired head?"

"Fine." Draco said as he reached for a piece of buttered toast. Blaise eyed his friend, wishing he could know what was going on inside his friend's head. He figured that there was something going on between Draco and Hermione, but he didn't know what it was exactly.

Draco stole a glance at the Gryffindor table and saw that the two queen bees of gossip had surrounded Hermione. He knew how Hermione hated being around them, and wished he could have done something to get her out of her current predicament, but knew that if he did anything like that, word would some how get back to his father, and that wouldn't be pretty.

"Malfoy, what are you staring at?" a voice came through his clouded mind, snapping Draco out of his train of thought.

"Nothing." Draco muttered as he continued to eat his toast.

"Malfoy, do you have a thing for the book-worm?" Draco quickly gave his full attention to the young man that sat next to him, surprised on how easily he could catch on to things.

"What would make you say such a thing?"

"I don't know, you seem to have something on your mind a lot, and it tends to be whenever she's around."

"Is that so?" Blaise gave Draco a questionable look but left it at that. Blaise was determined to figure out was going on. Unfortunately, for him, Draco knew that and he would do almost anything to keep Blaise from figuring it out.

Draco noticed that his best friend was starting to get ideas about him and Hermione and that they weren't far off from the truth. He knew it would be nice to have someone to confide in, but being a Slytherin, he knew that it was nearly impossible to trust other Slytherins, that included Blaise.

Draco glanced once more at the Gryffindor table and saw that Hermione was leaving. His eyes followed her as she walked down the length of the table and turned to walk past the Ravenclaws. Her eyes met his and he set down the toast that he held in his hand, ready to stand up and follow her out. That was until she mouthed to him that she was only going to the bathroom. He gave a slight nod in understandment and reached for the goblet in front of him. He looked once more at Hermione as she continued to leave the Great Hall but set his glass down when he saw her eyes widen briefly. He turned his head and saw who stood in the doorway of the Great Hall. His eyes narrowed as Hermione approached Ron and gave him a hug and a quick kiss. There was something inside of him that roared at this brief, seemingly innocent, interaction between the two of them. There was nothing more he wanted to do in this moment than wring Weasley's neck. She should be his, he felt that it should be that way, and he felt that he had screwed that up. _Bugger, _he thought as he watched to two of them converse and saw that Ron's ears where growing redder and that Hermione looked hurt. Boy what he imagined himself doing to that idiot would affect his children. He watched as Hermione's eyes fell down cast to the floor and side-stepped him, making her way out of the Great Hall. Draco's eyes followed Ron to the Gryffindor table sending him a murdering look the entire way. Draco looked at the Great Hall doors.

"I'm leaving." He said really to no one in particular and stood up, grabbing his bag from under the table.

"Good luck with that girl mate." Blaise called after him and Draco glanced behind him, giving him a pointed look before continuing out of the Great Hall.

Unfortunately, Ron heard Blaise's comment to Draco and looked up as Draco was leaving the Great Hall. He knew what girl Blaise was talking about and may Merlin loose his spectacles before he was going to let Draco get her. Ever.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N Hello! Here is the next installment! Enjoy and please don't forget to review!! THANKS!

Love

Vicky

Disclaimer: This fanfic is not endorsed by Hogwarts, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros, Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Quidditch, Wizards, Muggles, Deathly Hallows, Half-Blood Princes, Orders of the Phoenixes, Goblets of Fire, Philosophers Stones, Chambers of Secrets, Prisoners of Azkaban, DVD's or any other official Harry Potter source.

Chapter 23

Draco turned down a hall that lead down towards the dungeons and more specifically the potions class room. The same place that he figured he could meet up with Hermione, and possibly discuss her encounter with the Weasley face this morning. Draco ran a tired hand through his hair. Hermione had been right. It had been a crazy weekend. In fact he was actually looking forward to his lessons today, they would be something that would be able to get his mind off of everything that had happened recently.

Draco was about to round the next corner when he heard someone call out to him from the other end of the hall. Draco stopped walking and spared a glace down the corridor. He sighed as he saw Weasley coming down the hallway toward him.

"What the hell do you want?" Draco called down the hallway, half wondering why he was giving him the time of day.

"I want you to stay away from Hermione ferret."

"Kind of hard when I share a dorm with her."

"That could be easily fixed. That fight this morning could easily get you kicked out or your high and mighty position."

"What you going to tattle on me?" Draco sneered.

"Maybe, unless you keep the hell away from her." Ron spat with venom.

"Good luck with that." With that, Draco turned around and began to walk away from Ron. However, he at once felt a hand on his shoulder turn him around and then a fist connect with his jaw.

"What the bloody hell is the matter with you!"

"I don't want you around Hermione!"

"Why the hell do you care?"

"Cause she's mine, and there is no way in hell that I'm letting you get her."

"Last time I checked _you_ where the one that was dating her."

"And when has that stopped you. Some bloke is dating the girl you want, yet you go off and get in her pants or snog her."

"First, I have certain rules and morals, and despite certain rumors, I do not shag or snog every girl I see. Second, I have only shagged one girl, not the entire bloody school, and that one girl was a bloody mistake. Now bugger off before I report you for hitting a student, no less the Head Boy." Draco pointed down the direction of the hall with one hand and lightly massaged his jaw with the other.

"Fine, but just remember, I'm the one that gets to snog Hermione whenever I want."

"Like I would care." Draco spat as Ron turned around and began to walk down the hall and Draco watched him making sure that he didn't come running back and attack him blindly. Ron rounded the corner and disappeared from his sight. Draco immediately turned around and punched the wall, relishing the searing pain as his knuckles split. Like hell he didn't care.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N Well I already know that you all are going to absolutely hate me for this chapter. You're going to say OMG I can't believe it! Yadda yadda ya. Unfortunately, it had to happen! I know but what is done is done! sorry. hope you don't hate me for it in the end:winks:

Disclaimer: This fanfic is not endorsed by Hogwarts, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros, Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Quidditch, Wizards, Muggles, Deathly Hallows, Half-Blood Princes, Orders of the Phoenixes, Goblets of Fire, Philosophers Stones, Chambers of Secrets, Prisoners of Azkaban, DVD's or any other official Harry Potter source.

Chapter 24

Draco continued to walk down the halls that lead toward the Potions class room while wrapping his hand in a piece of cloth that he had transfigured from a sheet of paper. He was fuming, furious that Ronald Weasley thought that he could get away with something like punching him across the face. The worst part was that he was going to let him. He hated having to be the bigger man. To him, it rather sucked.

Draco leaned against a stray wall, almost wishing he could disappear from all the craziness that had ensued after him, from crazed girls chasing after him, from Voldemort and his Death Eaters trying to get him to join them, from school, and all the way to Hermione. However, stinking Hermione Granger that seemed to be the brute of his current problems.

"Hey Draco." A voice called from behind him and he turned around quickly. Draco gave a weak smile and tried to hide his hand behind his back. "What did you do to your hand?"

"Punched a wall." Draco confessed, knowing that there would be no way that he would have been able to hide it from Hermione when she insisted that he either go to Madam Pomfrey or heal it herself.

"Why would you do a crazy thing like that." Hermione asked, slightly bewildered why Draco would hurt himself.

"It was either the wall or your boyfriend's face." Draco mumbled hoping that Hermione didn't catch it.

"What?"

"I was just being stupid. Hit the wall by accident." Draco said instead.

"No I heard what you said the first time. Why would you have had to hit Ron? Is that why your face is bruised? Did he hit you?"

"Your assumptions are astounding."

"I can't believe it! After I told you two not to get into it, you get into a fight with each other again! And in the same day!"

"He hit me. I hit the wall." Draco said quietly through gritted teeth. Hermione looked at him questionably. "Look I don't want to talk about it. What happened between him and me is a personal matter."

"Would they have anything to do with me?" Hermione asked so quietly that Draco had barely heard her.

"You know, I don't like Weasley. Let me finish." Draco interrupted Hermione knowing what she was going to say as she opened her mouth. "I don't like Weasley, not because I've expressed my dislike for him over the years, but because something really irks me about the guy. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that you would associate yourself romantically with. He has a big head, I'm not saying that I don't either, I was raised that way, to believe I was better than everyone else around me. Weasley, he acts as everything should be his, weather he's worked for it or not. The way he talks about you I would think he owns you and you've only been dating for a few days!" Draco's face was slightly flushed as he finished his speech, hoping that it had made some impact on Hermione. "What happened at breakfast in the Great Hall?"

"Nothing, nothing more than what would happen every other morning had this past weekend not been so full of drama." Hermione tried to pass off that morning's incident as if it was nothing. Unfortunately for her, Draco knew better, probably better than anyone else, better than her supposed two best friends.

"No it was something, you don't look upset for no reason."

"Look I don't want to talk about it. What happened between me and him is a personal matter." Hermione said, pushing his own words back on him.

"Would it have anything to do with me?" Draco already knew the answer as he figured Hermione had already known the answer when she asked if his recent fight had anything to do with her.

Hermione looked up into Draco's eyes and gave him a bit of a sad smile.

"You know Ron doesn't want me to sit by you during class today." Hermione spoke softly.

"Well I say he can go stuff his face." Hermione laughed lightly at Draco's comment and Draco smiled at Hermione's laughter. Besides his mother, she was the only one that was able to make him smile.

"Unfortunately for me, I told him we talk about it later." Hermione sighed.

"You know, you seemed more upset than ever now that you've started going out with him."

"Really I hadn't noticed." Hermione responded sarcastically.

"If you're so unhappy then why did you start dating him?"

"Because I thought it would make me happy. Now I'm just scared that I might have messed up my friendship with him in a big way." Hermione sniffed, trying not to cry, she wanted to be a big girl that could take care of herself. However, whenever she was around Draco all she wanted was for him to support her. She let his arms pull her closer to him and allowed herself to sob on his chest quietly. Draco ran a hand through her hair trying to calm her down. He knew that if anyone saw her in this state that she would have some explaining to do, at least to Harry and Ron she would.

Hermione's sobs and tears stopped however after a few minutes. She pulled back and looked at the state that she had left Draco's shirt in, stained with her tears and slightly wrinkled.

"Draco I'm sorry, I messed up your shirt." Hermione stumbled over her words as she tried to rub the evidence that she had been crying from her eyes. Draco looked down at his shirt and almost laughed.

"It's nothing really. It's only made from the most expensive fibers money can buy." Draco laughed at sudden guilt that he could evidently see on her face. "I'm kidding, it's only cotton." Hermione looked at him in brief confusion and then hit him on the arm playfully.

"Thanks." Hermione hugged Draco hoping to express as much of her emotion as she could into a single hug. Draco responded back with an equal amount of force.

"You know if you ever need anything you can come to me." Draco muttered into her hair.

"I think you proved that just now." Hermione pulled back, her arms still resting up around his neck.

Draco looked down at the girl that he was holding in his arms and she looked perfect. Staring into her eyes he could see her emotions, the want that she had hidden from him for all these years, the secrets she had kept hidden from him for so long, the emotions that yearning to spill out of her and claim what they had seeked for so long. Him. The only odd thing was, that Hermione saw the exact same thing when she looked into his.

Draco moved his hand and massaged her cheek ever so gently, loving the way it felt under his fingertips. Draco slowly brought his lips down to hers, and with careful grace and great gentleness, their lips touched.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Hermione pulled back, her eyes still closed as if she could still feel his lips on hers.

"Draco, I can't do this. Ron, he—"

"I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have." Draco looked ashamed of himself, he had told Weasley that he didn't snog other people's girlfriends, and here he was practically snogging Hermione Granger, the Weasel's girlfriend herself.

"It's not that I don't want to, cause you're a way better kisser than Ron, but he's my boyfriend. I couldn't cheat on him." Hermione spoke softly as if she hated the words herself, as if they where acid on her tongue.

"I understand Hermione, I really do."

"Thank you." Hermione sighed and looked over her shoulder she saw people coming around the corner.

"Looks like our alone time for the day is over." Draco stated as he looked over her head at the Gryffindors and Slytherins coming around the bend.

"Pity." Hermione sighed, as someone from the crowd called her name, she turned around and gave a smile and a wave toward Harry and turned back around to Draco. "I'm still would like to sit by you today if you don't mind." Draco smiled and nodded his head.

"Of course, class is always easier when I have the smartest girl in school to do all the work for me." Draco said playfully, earning him another punch to his arm.

"Glad to see our heads beating each other up now." Harry spoke as he approached the two. "Malfoy." Harry acknowledged and gave him a slight nod of his head.

"Potter." Draco returned the gesture and kept an eye out for Ron, slightly glad that there were now people around them; he really didn't want to get into another fight.

"Hermione, how have you been lately, you know with everything." Potter's attention was once more directed at Hermione, his tone was friendly and light, nothing necessarily odd in his tone, Draco noted.

"Great! Everything is just perfect." Hermione flashed Harry a brilliant smile, Draco's mouth almost dropped open as Harry believed Hermione's lie. Couldn't he see that she really was fine, let alone great? Here he was, her best friend and he could see the sadness she hid behind her mask. "How's everything with you?"

"Better now, I had some trouble this morning. Bulstrode kissed me and Ginny saw it. Let's say having vases thrown at my head wasn't exactly what I planned this morning." Harry smiled weakly, and Draco's mouth dropped open completely. _Bulstrode kissed Potter. That must have been utterly disgusting for him. Poor bloke, even if it is Potter._

"Oh my god. Is everything alright, you know between you and Ginny?"

"Thankfully, yes. I was so worried that she wouldn't understand while she was, you know, throwing vases at my head. Luckily Ron got her to calm down so we could talk it out."

"Thank goodness! You two are made for each other you know."

"I know Hermione. You tell me that all the time, along with all the other girls."

"Including Romilda Vane?"

"Well, except her, she still bitter about the fact that I'm not dating her, but she's loony anyways." Harry laughed, "You're sitting next to Ron today right?"

"No, I'm sitting next to Malfoy." Hermione said, "We have some important head business to discuss, and we figured we could do so when brewing our potion today." Harry nodded but looked at her suspiciously.

"Ron's not going to like it."

"I know." Hermione sighed as Ron came billowing down the hall.

"I need to talk to you." Ron said, slightly huffing from what it looked like, running all the way here.

"Ron class is about to start."

"I need to talk to you, now."

"Ron I'm not going to ditch just because you need to talk to me. I'm sure this can wait until after class."

"Fine. I'll tell you during class."

"I'm sitting next to Malfoy today, remember."

"Are you still going on about that? Listen you're my girlfriend you'll be sitting next to me."

"Ron." Harry said softly, shocked by his best mate's attitude toward his 'girlfriend.'

"Ron." Hermione said sternly, "I will sit by whom I like, during potions or any other class."

"Look, Granger, just sit by him we can talk later." Draco said softly, noticing that the people around them where starting to stare. Hermione looked at Draco questionably. "I don't want to be the cause of anymore trouble than you already have." He whispered softly so only she could hear. Hermione's eyes softened and she nodded slowly understanding where he was coming from.

"Oh alright, Fine. I'll sit by you Ron, but we need to have a very long discussion about this." Hermione glared at Ron, furious that she had to give up sitting next to Draco because Ron was being such a pain in the butt about, well, everything.

"Good. I'm glad you're _finally_ seeing reason Hermione." Ron emphasized, while both Draco's and Harry's mouths fell open at Ron's rudeness toward Hermione. Draco moved to punch Ron in the face but Hermione stuck her arm out and stopped him, she gave him a look that said _I'll take care of this._ Draco straightened up and gave Ron a look of downright hatred. If Hermione would have let him Ron would have been pounded severally into the ground.

Their classmates around them started to talk animatedly about what had just happened in front of their eyes, evidentially surprised at both Ron's and Draco's reactions.

Maybe today's Potions lesson wouldn't be as boring as the other ones.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N : HEY GUYS! Sorry it's been a while! Here's the next chapter! And I'd like to thank everybody for the awesome reviews! They sure do mean a lot to me!

Lots of love!

Victoria

Chapter 26

Hermione sat with her quill in her hand and a piece of parchment in front of her. She was still fuming about her earlier argument with Ron about who she could and who she couldn't sit next to. She shot a furious glare at Ron who, like always, wasn't even bothering to take notes on Snape's lecture about the Potion they would be brewing in the next hour. She glanced over to where Draco sat, writing notes, most-likely in great detail like she.

"You know, I'm not going to let you copy my notes." Hermione whispered out of the corner of her mouth, Some what startling Ron out of his daze.

"What?"

"I'm not letting you copy my notes."

"Sure you will, otherwise, I'll fail."

"Sucks to be you then."

"Listen, if you're still upset-"

"Of course, I'm upset you dolt."

"Aw come on 'mione, relax a bit." Ron reached across, under the table and rested his hand on Hermione's thigh. She looked down in shock."

"Ron." She said slightly nervously, but warning could be detected in her voice.

"What?" Ron said as if he was as innocent as could be.

"Move your hand."

"Like this?" Ron moved his hand even higher up Hermione's thigh. Hermione resisted the urge to slap Ron across the face, not willing to draw any attention to herself during class, especially Snape's class. She quietly moved her hand down to her lap and flung Ron's hand away with surprising force.

She didn't look at him; she felt as if she couldn't the thought of him at this very moment disgusted her. She glanced back up at Snape and copied down the remaining instructions on the board. Ron, however, apparently wasn't finished. He reached across to Hermione and pulled her seat closer to his, despite Hermione's struggle.

"Is there something you two would like to share with the class?" Hermione's movement had alerted Snape.

"Can-" Hermione was going to request that she could move away from Ron when he interrupted her.

"No Professor. Every thing's fine."

"Very well, 10 points from Gryffindor for disrupting my class." said Snape through pursed lips. "Now, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, you will have the rest of the class period to brew your potion, take your ingredients from the supply closet and begin." Snape sat down behind his desk and silently watched as students immediately walk over toward the supply closet.

Hermione stood up and began to move toward the closet when she was pulled back to the desk by the hem of her cloak.

"What the hell?" she hissed.

"I'll get the supplies."

"No you won't. Last time you did about half the ones you got where the wrong ones. I'll be fetching them. And don't make me glue you to your seat." She added as Ron made to protest again. She quickly walked over towards the closet and met Draco inside.

"How are you holding up with the weasel over there." Draco inquired as he looked over the shelves for some scarab beetles.

"Fine." Hermione said rather harshly.

"You didn't look to fine a minute ago."

"I'll talk to you about it later, alright? Oh and those are lace wing flies not scarab beetles"

"Oh." Said Draco, looking over the bottle, "Thanks. And listen, if you need anything—"

"You're there for me. I know. Thanks." Hermione stood on her tiptoes and gave Draco a quick kiss on the cheek as she reached up and grabbed a bottle of runespoore eggs. "See you later Draco." Hermione grabbed the last of her ingredients and left the closet. Draco looked at the spot where she had disappeared, he quickly mentally shook himself and grabbed the last of his ingredients and in turn left the closet himself.

XoXoXo

Hermione returned to the desk where she was, unfortunately, sitting. She delicately laid all of the materials over the desk and lit a fire under her cauldron. She carefully read the instructions and began to add ingredients, knowing that Ron wouldn't help but sit there and watch. She was starting to get frustrated, and her face felt flushed with anger. She took a deep calming breath.

"Are you going to help me Ronald?" Hermione breathed.

"You're doing such a fine job, I wouldn't want to mess it up." Ron said with a smirk on his face.

"Right." Hermione said through gritted teeth. Thoughts began to formulate in her brain. Oh I can't stand him! He's worse than Draco ever was! That jerk! Bloody hell I bet he's back there looking at my arse too. Stupid, evil, git. I swear, I'll… I'll… I'll just put my name on this potion when I turn it in. That'll show him. He's so close to failing anyways. Hermione smiled as the last thought crossed her mind, it was mean, maybe a little cruel, but Ron needed to be shown what happened when you messed with Hermione Granger. And badly.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N hello again guys! Sorry that I don't update at a regular basis but this school year I've been having what feels like about an essay a week! Boy is that tough work! I hope to have the next chapter up soon and hopefully more, as my friend Lizzy would say, Dramione stuff goes down! Can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter and how Ron should die. Lol.

Much love!

Victoria

Chapter 27

Hermione was very frustrated, more frustrated than she had ever been. Ron was being his annoying self, but ever since she had started to "date" him (and their dating wasn't even real relationship) he became more and more of a jerk. She couldn't wait to get out into the hall after potions and tell him that this sham was over, and then, hopefully, get on with her life. She never had thought that something like this would go so wrong.

"You have ten more minutes." Snape said so that his voice was heard through out the entire classroom. "As per procedure, one of you will come up to the desk, select a flask, and fill it with your potion and write the names of the people who made the potion on to the flask to be graded." Hermione nodded to herself, and studied her potion closely. It was turning from a light shade of lilac to a rich, dark emerald. She smiled, as she knew that she had done it right. She looked over towards Draco's table, he was working with Blaise, and his potion was doing the same. She next looked at Ron, who apparently had dozed off sometime in the last hour. She sighed to herself and pushed his feet of the desk, startling him awake.

"Go get a flask." She said hotly, still annoyed that she did all the work.

"Couldn't you go get it?" Ron asked sleepily, and began closing his eyes to fall back asleep.

"Ronald, go get the flask. It wasn't a question." She said through gritted teeth, trying to get herself from lashing out in class, something that she had always prided herself in doing. Even when Umbridge taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, she kept her temper, at least around her. Ron opened one of his eyes and gave her a skeptical look. "Ronald. Now." Hermione watched as he gave an exasperated sigh and stood up and walked to the front desk and snatched a glass flask from on it and marched back furiously.

"Here." He slammed it on the desk, "Happy now?" Ron flopped back into his chair and crossed his arms in a furious manner. Hermione was now seething even more than she was before. She couldn't believe his nerve! She took a few calming breaths and stirred her potion in a clockwise manner a few more times so that it would attain the right shade of green before pouring it into her newly acquired flask and placing her name on it, and only her name on it. She strolled pleasantly up to the desk and handed the bottle to Snape.

"There is only your name on this Miss Granger." Snape drawled with feigned interest.

"Yes Professor, I brewed the potion all by myself, with no help from my partner and thus I believe he should not receive any credit." Hermione said with a very straight and firm face. Blaise who happened to be standing next to her handing in Draco's and his potion laughed out loud.

"Finally, I thought you we're going to let those two oafs you call friends walk all over you your entire life." Blaise commented, a small smile hidden on his face. Snape had nodded in understandment.

"Very well, you do realize that Mr. Weasley will receive a failure for this assignment."

"Very much so. Thank you Professor." And with that, Hermione turned around and faced the room, and much to her surprise everyone was looking at her. Sighing, she walked down from Snape's desk and made her way back to her own desk and reached down to grab her bag from off the floor and then leave when Ron grabbed her wrist.

"What the hell was that?"

"What Ronald? You didn't do any of the assignment and didn't deserve any credit." Hermione snatched her wrist out of his grasp and hastily grabbed her bag off of the floor, throwing it over her shoulder.

"Don't you know that I'm close to failing?"

"Then I guess you ought to be making more of an effort for once in your life." Hermione said boldly and turned away from him as if to leave, when he grabbed her arm roughly. "Let go of me Ron." Hermione said softly, starting to become scared of what he might do.

"What the hell is the matter with you? You've never acted like this before! You're being such a cold-blooded bitch!"

"Ron, you're hurting me." Hermione said quietly, trying to hold back tears that where threatening to fall from her fear of Ron and what he might do, even under a teacher's nose.

Draco was near a boiling point, and the moment he saw the beginnings of tears in Hermione's eyes, he was blown over the top. He quickly marched over to her and gently grabbed her arm and peeled Ron's hand off of her with great fury, he looked down at where his hand had been and saw the beginnings of a bruise. He resisted the urge he felt to punch the git in the face.

"Come on, let's get you out of here, away from this abusive bastard." Draco said the last part so every one knew what Ron was, something that no one thought that Ron would have ever become.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N : Hey guys!!! It's the next chapter and I say it's fairly long! Yay for long-ness! I hope you like and Review please! Thanks!

Victoria!

Chapter 28

Hermione and Draco now stood in a nook a few corridors up from the Potions room, Hermione however was being held up by Draco as she cried on his chest. Draco ran a hand over curly hair, and looked hard at the wall just behind her. Fuming thoughts continued to real through his head, he was furious that someone would be such a jerk to such an amazing girl. His head was full of thoughts of beating the guts out of Ronald Weasley.

"Hermione," Draco said ever so softly, "Do you want to talk about it." Hermione nodded her head.

"First I got mad when he felt me up when we were taking notes during class." Draco stiffened slightly when he heard this but didn't say anything and let Hermione continue. "Then when I tried to make him stop, he wouldn't. Not until I got up to go get the potions ingredients."

"Why didn't you tell me what he had done then?" Draco inquired furry was now boiling inside of him. Hermione shook her head furiously and a few more tears fell down her cheeks.

"I don't know." she whispered hoarsely, Draco wiped the tears that had fallen down her cheeks.

"Then what happened after you went back?" Draco urged her on, desperate to know what had happened.

"Well," Hermione sniffed trying to regain her composure, "I started to brew the potion while Ron decided to sit back and watch and sleep. Once I noticed he was asleep I was furious. Then after Snape told us to collect a flask and bottle our finished potion. So I woke up Ron and told him to go get one and he gave me this haughty attitude about how he was trying to sleep and that I should do it. I couldn't believe his nerve! After all I had brewed the ENTIRE potion without his help and the least he could have gone was gotten the flask. So then I told him that it wasn't a question and that he needed to go get it now. He grumbled the entire way up and the entire way back, fueling the fire that was already burning. I was so pissed that I didn't put his name on the flask, after all he didn't do any of the work, and then I turned it into Snape. Snape then asked me if I knew that I hadn't put his name on the flask, and Blaise said something and when I turned around the entire class was staring at me. I then went to go get my stuff, and then that's when Ron hurt me." Hermione glanced down at her arm at the light bruise that was sure to become darker later. "I'm such an idiot." Hermione sniffled into Draco's chest. Draco paused and looked down at the top of her head.

"Hermione you are, in no way, an idiot." Draco said firmly.

"Yes, I am. I'm an idiot to believe that I could ever pull something like this!" Hermione cried.

"What do you mean by 'something like this'?" Draco asked curiously, since he had no idea what on earth Hermione's eyes widened as she heard what Draco had just said back to her. She had never meant for that to come out of her mouth. It was just supposed to stay in her head, in her private thoughts.

"N-N- Nothing. It didn't mean a thing." Hermione stuttered, slightly nervous, but hoped that Draco would put that on her distraught state. She looked down towards the ground, and shuddered slightly when he placed a finger under her chin.

"Tell me, you have to be able to trust me." Hermione looked into his eyes and saw the truth behind them.

"Look I do trust you but I can't tell you. You'd hate me for it." Draco laughed slightly catching Hermione off guard. "What? What's so funny?"

"Hermione, I couldn't hate you. I may dislike you at times, but I could never hate you. Not after all that you've done for me this past year." Draco's face had once again become serious and full with compassion. Hermione's eyes brimmed once more with tears, still fearing that he would turn his back on her. She felt like she truly was an idiot, she had ruined a relationship with her one of her "best" friends and now was teetering on the edge with Draco as well. It was almost to much for her to handle.

"You wouldn't understand." She looked away from him, trying her best to not let anymore tears cascade down her cheeks.

"Hermione, why wouldn't I understand? Why can't you tell me?"

"Because, I can't, Draco. I just can't." Hermione took in a deep breath, trying to calm her mind. Draco looked at Hermione questionably, knowing that she was hiding something from him. He desperately wanted to know what.

"Hermione, I wish you would tell me. I won't make you but I hope that you will come to me and tell me, all right? Over the past few days, you see to be growing steadily unhappier. I'm worried about you." Hermione looked up and saw the sincerity in his eyes, as well as worry too. She felt immediately guilty; he shouldn't feel worried about her, he shouldn't be this caring towards her. "Hermione I just want you to be happy." Draco said softly rubbing his calloused thumb over her tear stained cheek.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N Hola again guys! Here's the next chapter! I really like how it turned out! This one includes all of the different points of view too! Yay-ness for that! So thank you for reading I hope you like it and review please! All comments are mucho appreciated. 

Victoria

Chapter 29

After Draco and Hermione had left the Potion's classroom, everything was deathly silent. Ron had gone red with furry to red with embarrassment. Harry stood rigid, trying to comprehend what had just occurred between his two best friends. It wasn't until Snape stood up and told them to get out that the tension died, at least a miniscule amount. Only after everyone had left the corridor, occasionally throwing back nervous glances over their shoulders at Ron, did Harry approach him.

"What the bloody hell was that!" Harry yelled furiously at Ron.

"I- I don't know. I just lost my temper." Ron said sheepishly looking directly at the ground. 

"You lost your temper? Ron, you bloody hurt Hermione in the process, not just emotionally but physically! You've never lost your temper and physically hurt someone before!" Harry cried.

"I know." 

"You need to get it through your thick head that if you continue to act like this you will have lost not just one friend but two." With that, Harry turned his back on Ron and walked away from him briskly, leaving Ron in his guilt and his thoughts. 

Harry couldn't believe that Ron could ever do such a horrible thing to Hermione. Sure, they had their fights and those sometimes left Hermione in tears but this. This was unbelievable. He never thought that Ron would bring physical abuse into the equation; he didn't seem like that type of guy. Harry rubbed his temples, as he strolled towards the Charms classroom. His next class, but this time with the Ravenclaws, he hoped that it would educe such drama as the last one did. He heaved his bag further up on his shoulder, grunting slightly at the weight.

"That to heavy for you, Mr. Seeker?" a teasing voice echoed from behind him, startling Harry. He swiftly turned around and smiled in relief as he looked into the shadows. 

"Aren't you going to be late for your next class Gin?" 

"Probably." Ginny smiled softly as she stepped towards Harry. "Look, I'm really sorry." Ginny bowed her head and stared at the floor between her and Harry. "You know about-" 

"Gin, I know. I'm sorry too. We just need to be able to talk to each other and trust each other." Harry placed a finger under Ginny's chin and tilted her head back up. 

"I know. I still feel bad, I mean I chucked stuff at you." 

"Hey, but you didn't hit me, and since you're a Chaser I know you could have." Harry laughed lightly and placed a hand on her cheek. " I would never do anything that could mean that I would loose you." Ginny smiled at Harry's sincerity this is why she loved him and she couldn't believe that she doubted that only a few hours earlier. 

"I love you Harry."

"I love you too Gin." Harry leaned down and met Ginny's lips with his own, caressing them ever so softly. She leaned into his kiss, letting her own fiery passion flow into the magic of it; her eyes fluttered shut, worries cast from her mind as she dwelt on the wonderful feeling inside her heart that this was as it was meant to be, how it was always meant to be.

XoXoXo

Ron watched as Harry walked swiftly away from him. His eyes immediately fell down cast; he knew that what he had done was completely out of line. He had never intended to hurt her, he felt horrible that he did. But she just didn't understand. Why couldn't she tell that he loved her and that he was the right one for her not Draco Malfoy. Why didn't she see it? Why didn't everybody understand that she was meant to be with him, not anyone else? Not ever. 

XoXoXo

Hermione looked tearfully at Draco. He had changed drastically since last year, and he was still so venerable. Yet, here he was willing to trust her with his heart. It would be a lie to say she was just scared. No, she was terrified. 

"Draco, I don't deserve you. I used to think that you could never deserve me. But I was so wrong, I don't deserve you." Hermione moved Draco's hand from her face and made to leave the alcove where the two of them where standing, she shook her head as if to shake back the tears inside her so they wouldn't spill out. Draco rested his hand on her shoulder and gently spun her back around.

"Hermione what on earth are you talking about?" Draco's voice was heavily etched with concern and worry. He had never heard Hermione talk like this. She had always been so tough and so fierce around everyone and now she seemed to be completely vulnerable.

"Draco, I need to make this right."

"Hermione just tell me what is going on."

"I have to fix this thing with Ron. I have to do it now, before it gets any further out of hand." Draco's eyes flashed with jealousy and hatred at the mention of Ron's name his hand tightening slightly on Hermione's shoulder.

"Hermione-" Draco began before she put her hand up to stop him.

"I have to do this." Hermione sighed, "Alone." She looked at Draco and could tell that he was questioning weather or not he should let her go, but smiled slightly. Draco nodded rather reluctantly and let go of her shoulder. "Thank you." Hermione said softly.

"Hermione just don't let that prat hurt you again. Punch him across the face for all I care." Draco smiled slightly. Hermione nodded a small smile to match Draco's flew briefly across her face before she turned to leave to do the deed that she should have never had to do in the first place.

Then, with the feeling of great urgency, Draco stepped out of the alcove and grabbed Hermione by the hand, pulling her back close to him. Gently he reached down and placed one of the sweetest kisses he had ever given on Hermione's lips. Her eyes widened with surprise but then fluttered closed. Her arms found their way around Draco's neck and into his hair, trying desperately to pull him closer. Draco's hands where doing the same, the where wrapped around her waist and trying desperately to pull her even closer to him. There they stayed swaying for a moment until both realized they need some much needed, much exasperating, air. As they pulled back from each other Draco rested his forehead on Hermione's.

"You deserve so much Hermione. You deserve much more than Ron, and much more than me." Draco whispered softly so that his words tickled her ear with their sincerity. Hermione pulled back and looked at Draco in a way that she had never looked at anyone before; she looked at him hopelessly in love. 

"I have to go. You have to go. We have… class." Hermione breathed still slightly winded from the intensity of the moment they had just shared. Draco nodded and smiled slightly.

"Always the silly little bookworm." He teased gently, earning him a playful punch to the arm. 

"Yes, and proud of it. Come on I have charms and you have Herbology." Hermione looked down at her watch. "And we're going to be late."

"Why not just skip the entire period?" Draco offered and a long lost twinkle could be found in his eyes. Hermione, however, looked at him like he was positively insane. 

"No. We are going to class. Now lets go."

"Can I walk you to class?"

"You'll be extremely late!"

"So?"

"Draco, I couldn't let you."

"Fine." Draco huffed. "This is what I get for being your loving boyfriend."

"Draco, you're not my boyfriend." Hermione said sternly. "Yet." She added with a smile on her face. "I have to end this crazy thing with Ron first. I have to end it properly." Draco nodded in understandment, slightly embarrassed of his slip up. "I'll see you later." Hermione stood on her tip toes and left a kiss on Draco's cheek and looked at her watch, gasped and ran off in the direction of the Charms classroom.

Draco stood in the hallway for a moment ginning like an idiot at himself before turning around to make his way to his Herbology class when he stopped dead in his tracks.

"What the hell are you doing here?"


	30. Chapter 30

A/N Oh so I was thinking about typing the next chapter up and then I got all these wonderful reviews and I thought okay now I'm definitely going to write! YAY! So here is chapter 30 and can you believe it I'm really close to having 30,000 words! OMG it's so cool! (I think I might cry a little) lol anyways enjoy! And thanks to all the reviews they really make my day!

Chapter 30

"I think the better question is what the hell are you doing?" Blaise smirked at Draco and his slightly dumbfounded look.

"That's none of your business!" Draco shot back across the hallway and began to make his way over to where Blaise stood.

"You know I could hold this against you." Blaise Drawled as he inspected his perfectly manicured fingernails. 

"You know I could hold the fact that you and Pansy are going out against you too." 

"Touché." 

"Well how does it feel to kiss the resident Gryffindor mud—" Blaise instantly shut his trap at the death glare that Draco sent in his direction. 

"I thought I told you not to use that word, not in relation to her." Draco growled through gritted teeth.

"Right. Sorry. Look mate you know you're going to have to be careful right. If you're father finds out about you and Granger then both of our love lives will be over."

"Well how about I let Pansy cheat on me with you." Draco said sarcastically. 

"Sounds like a plan." Blaise smirked. "So did you do the Herbology homework?"

"Of course. You didn't though, did you?" Draco asked although he already knew the answer.

"Nope." 

"Figures."

XoXoXo

Hermione rushed into Charms slightly after the bell had rung. 

"I'm so sorry I'm late Professor." She huffed as she went and grabbed a seat next to Harry, who much to her displeasure was sitting next to Ron. 

"Where were you?" Harry hissed to her after Hermione sat down and as Professor Flitwick and begun his lesson.

"Draco." Hermione breathed knowing that this would be a good enough answer to satisfy him, but she did notice that Ron had tensed up a bit. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes quickly focusing on Professor Flitwick's instructions for the new charm they were learning. 

" … Animal Tame Spell or Animal Control Spell. This spell allows any wizard to tame and temporarily control any creature for a brief period. There is no counter for this charm but the animal returns to normal after about two hours. The limitations of this spell depend mainly of the strength or will of the caster. For example, any of you should be able to tame anything from a squirrel, to maybe a cat, or some other creature with a below human level mind. However, to tame, say, a dragon, a wizard would need extraordinary skill. Now the incantation for this spell is _Animus Terolerus_. Now in order to make this charm work you must focus entirely on the spell and nothing else. Now lets try repeating the incantation with out wands please. Now say _Animus Terolerus."_ The entire class repeated after Flitwick's instructions several times before Flitwick believed that they were ready to try using wands. "Now please come up here and select a mouse from the box here and try using the new charm on it." The students eagerly stood up and made their way towards the front of the room to grab their mouse.

"Hermione." A voice whispered impatiently from behind Hermione, she knew it was Ron trying to get her attention but she wouldn't give it to him. She was quite fed up with his recent actions and didn't want anything to do with him, except maybe to end this horrible thing that she had started. "Hermione." Ron's voice had gotten a little louder and she knew that it wouldn't be long until he started screaming her name. 

"What do you want?" Hermione hissed lividly, still trying to keep her cool.

"I wanted to apologize." 

"I don't want your apology Ronald, I don't want anything to do with you." Hermione turned around and glared over Harry's shoulder to where Ron stood. She was overly grateful that Harry was there to stay in between her and Ron, after all she was still terrified that he might do something to her. Ron however had other ideas. He roughly pushed his way through Harry who desperately tried to stop him from getting near Hermione, and got very close to her face, obviously restraining himself. 

"You will accept my apology and stop being such a hard cold witch." Ron spat.

"No Ronald, I won't. I'm done." Hermione said clearly. Her courage dwindling but it was thankfully not evident in her voice. 

"What to do you mean you're done?" Ron yelled attracting everyone's attention in the Room. 

"I mean I'm done with you!" Hermione yelled at just the same volume as Ron had just moments ago, and unsurprisingly to her felt her cheek burn after she had said it.

The next moment happened in a flash. The entire class gasped in horror, as they couldn't believe that Ron had struck Hermione, but this time not with his flat hand but with his fist. Harry had grabbed Ron's arms and pinned them behind his back and pushed him to the ground so he was lying on his stomach. Professor Flitwick was rushing over to ensure that no other students got hurt or in the middle of this and Hermione had an odd grin on her face, despite the growing red mark that now fell across her face. 

"Mr. Potter let him up. Let him up now." Professor Flitwick ordered and despite Harry's worry that Ron might act up again he got off of his back and got out of his way. "Now I want the three of you to report to Dumbledore's office now. Being seventh years I expect you to report there in an orderly manner." It was oddly funny to see Professor Flitwick fuming mad, yet somewhat terrifying at the same time. Hermione and Harry nodded shamefully each of them keeping an eye on Ron making sure that he wouldn't lash out again. "Go. Now." 

Hermione shamefully looked at her feet. She knew that Ron would be riled up and that she would most likely get hit. She knew that she should have waited until after class to deal with her personal matters and focused on her studies. Nevertheless, she also knew that she couldn't stand being romantically associated with Ron Weasley any longer. 

The trio marched out of the Charms classroom and Harry and Hermione immediately distanced themselves from Ron. 

"What the hell is your problem Ron?" Harry yelled at Ron. 

"You heard her!" Ron spat back pointing an accusing finger in Hermione's direction.

"Yes and she did exactly what she should have done! You hit her Ron, because you didn't like what she was doing. Because she wanted to 'break up' with you! Don't you remember that this was all fake?" Harry yelled back and Hermione was very grateful to have another person on her side, Ron however was not.

"Why is it that no one agrees with me? Why do am I the only one that sees that I'm right?" Ron yelled furiously as he continued to make his way to Dumbledore's office

"Cause you're not right Ron! Can't you see that hitting me because you can't get you're way is incredibly messed up? Ron it's not like we were even dating!" Hermione yelled desperately trying to get Ron to understand, in her brief hope that something could be done to salvage their friendship.

"I thought I heard yelling coming from this direction." A voice drawled from behind the three causing them to all jump. Dumbledore smiled briefly before directing them to follow him to his office in silence.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N so the moment I finished writing this chapter I was like HOLY CRAP

A/N so the moment I finished writing this chapter I was like HOLY CRAP! So maybe you'll feel the same way….

Lots of love

Victoria

Chapter 31

The once golden trio sat before the Headmaster in his office in silence. Dumbledore sat behind his desk with his hands folded looking intently at the three of them. 

"I believe that Mr. Malfoy should be here as well. Should he not?" Dumbledore said softly. "Mr. Potter, please fetch Draco Malfoy from his Herbology class if you will." Harry stared at Dumbledore for a moment before nodding hastily and leaving the office. "Now the source of the issue seems to be coming from the two of you. Now I have an idea of what this issue would be, however I want the two of you to explain it to me from each of your own points of view. " Hermione nodded shamefully and could not take her eyes off of her feet and the interesting patterns of the floor. Ron however was fully willing to share his irrational side.

"Professor this is in no way my fault. All I agreed to do is go along with the 'sham' as she calls it." Ron pointed a harsh accusing finger in Hermione's direction.

"You know Ron when you point a finger at someone you have three pointing back at you." Hermione said softly.

"That doesn't make any sense. Anyways, all I did was be the 'perfect' boyfriend, for your silly little plan and now I'm up here for Merlin knows why!" Dumbledore raised his hands so they sat just under his chin.

"I see Mr. Weasley. Miss Granger if you could, please explain your side of the story." Hermione looked up slightly from the ground, so she could see Dumbledore's hands but so she wouldn't have to look at his face.

"It's stupid really, I mean I was being utterly stupid. It all started Saturday morning. Harry and Ron had snuck into the Head's dorm to pull a prank and in the process found out that I liked Draco. So we concocted at the time what seemed to be a perfect plan I would pretend, emphasis on the pretend, to date Ronald over here, in order to make Draco, well jealous."

"What do you mean you pretended to date Weasley?" Draco echoed throughout the room startling all three occupants. Hermione's eyes grew wide in shock but soon lowered her eyes once more to the carpet. 

"I mean I pretended to date Ronald in order to make you jealous." Hermione said meekly.

"Why? Why would you do something that would put you in such a horrible situation? He hit you!" Hermione immediately stood up out of her chair and walked over towards Draco.

"I didn't know he would! He was my best friend! I never thought that he would actually hit me! What friend would ever hit their best friend?"

"Apparently he would! Bloody hell Hermione, the two of you apparently weren't even dating and he acted like you were his wife, and he was the ever abusive husband that hit you when he didn't get his way!"

"Well I didn't know that! Remember I was furious with you as well! You called me a mudblood again." Hermione's voice returned once more to its normal softness as she spoke her last few words.

"I thought we were past that, I said I was sorry." Draco's voice returned to its own composed, tranquil tone and he took a small step closer to Hermione.

"I know you did, it doesn't mean that it still didn't hurt." Hermione was now looking Draco dead in the eyes, something that she really hadn't been able to do with anyone else since she had come up to Dumbledore's office. 

"I'm still so sorry for that. I slipped, would it be better if I blame my up bringing for that?"

"Maybe a little better." Hermione laughed softly and smiled gently.

"Good. Now it looks like Dumbledore has something to say to us." 

"Yes Mr. Malfoy. Now is it true that Mr. Weasley here hit Miss Granger?" Dumbledore looked at the four students before him and sighed as three of them shook their heads solemnly. "Very well, I'll need each of you to write a statement of what happened, for records." Dumbledore sighed and conjured up four desks that were well spaced out from each other with parchment and quills a top them. Please take a seat and each one of you write down everything from your point of view all emotions and feelings included." The four took seats as Dumbledore had directed and took up the quills and wrote at their own diligent pace.

XoXoXo

Dumbledore had collected the rolls of parchment from each of them, Draco's and Hermione's where the longest by far. They all now looked eagerly at the Headmaster, waiting for what would happen next. 

"I'm afraid that I have some bad news. Mr. Weasley you will have to be suspended. I had expected better from you Mr. Weasley. I am also sorry to inform you that these statements will have to be sent to the school governors."

"But Professor, we put all of our feelings into those statements." Hermione said softly. 

"Sir my father is one of the school governors" Draco said apprehensively.

"I know."


	32. Chapter 32

A/N hey guys

A/N hey guys! It's another chapter! YAY! I don't really like it but I could think of anyother way to change it to make it better… which rather sucks…. So I might do a re-do of this chapter, although with the look of my schedual it doesn't look like I'd be doing that anytime soon. Well I hope you like it! Please Review!

Lots of love

Victoria

Chapter 32

Harry, Hermione and Draco looked at Dumbledore in shock.

"Headmaster, could you not send mine in then?" Draco pleaded, knowing that once his father got a hold of that piece of parchment then his life would be over.

"I'm afraid I have to send something in from all parties involved if I am to suspend Mr. Weasley."

"Well then just don't suspend me." Ron offered, now hoping to avoid the wrath of his mother.

"Mr. Weasley, you will be suspended, I'm afraid that there is no avoiding your suspension."

"Well could he re-write his statement?" Hermione asked in a hopeful tone.

"Yeah. I'll re-write it. Professor I can't let my father read that. At the very least he'll force me to marry Pansy Parkinson as soon as possible, which would also ruin her life as well." Dumbledore looked at Draco straight in the eyes holding his intense, worried gaze.

"Mr. Malfoy, I know that this is difficult for you however—"

"Professor, why are we being punished for something that was his entire fault. It's not fair that the three of us get end up getting in trouble just because of what Ronald did. I'm fine. It's not like he knocked me out or anything. What if I didn't want him suspended, just given detention or something?" Hermione offered

"Hermione?" Draco and Harry cried in unison

"No listen, if he gets suspended then the three of us, well not so much Harry as Draco and I, are in trouble. Professor, I don't want him to be suspended."

"Miss Granger, that's not how the school rules dictate—"

"I know, Professor. But you're the Headmaster; you should be able to bend the rules slightly. If you send those in you'll be putting at least two of us in danger." Dumbledore looked at the most brilliant student to come to Hogwarts in centuries, and thought over her words.

"I could, possibly, not suspend Mr. Weasley. However he will have to be severely punished for this." The four of them sighed in relief.

"Thank you Professor." Draco breathed his voice heavy with relief.

"Yes, well I will still read over these and determine what will happen. Mr. Weasley meet here in my office before dinner to discuss your punishment. For the time being you are to remain five yards away from Miss Granger at all times." Ron's jaw dropped slightly in shock but Draco just smirked. "Failure to comply with this rule will result in your immediate suspension." Ron nodded slightly and left the Headmasters office, but not without glaring at the three that now stood clustered together.

"I don't know how this could have happened. He never has acted like this before." Hermione said quietly.

"Yes Miss Granger, I will be sure to look into that."

"Thank you Professor."

"Now why don't the three of you return to your classes, believe that this period is almost over." The three nodded and bid the Headmaster goodbye.

XoXoXo

Draco, Hermione and Harry walked away from the gargoyle that stood outside of Dumbledore's office. Hermione leaned on Draco's shoulder as she walked and Draco had an arm wrapped around her waist.

"I still wish that that git could be suspended. Hell I'd even go expelled." Draco exclaimed that included some furious hand gestures with his free hand.

"Well yes it would be nice to have some peace and quiet around here at last." Hermione sighed.

"Well as long as he doesn't come near you then we won't have to worry about that. You heard what Dumbledore said if he comes within five yards of you then he gets suspended and those statements go off to the school governors." Harry stated worriedly.

"Well I could cast up a blocking charm that only blocks him." Hermione offered

"Isn't that really hard?" Harry questioned

"Do you remember who you are talking too?" Hermione laughed.

"Right. Sorry."

"It's okay, anyways, it shouldn't be that bad. I mean if I do that we won't have to worry about him coming near me period. I just don't know why I didn't think of that before."

"At least you thought of it now." Draco said.

"Yeah I guess. Still I should have thought of it sooner." Hermione whined.

"Well we can't get everything we want." Draco teased.

"Can I have you?"

"Of course."

"Then I have everything I want."


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: HEY

A/N: HEY! It's been a bit of a while hasn't it? Well here is the next chapter and thanks for all the reviews, so this chapter is dedicated to those who reviewed the last chapter! Kat.1600 and omgahitsbritt08! Thanks guys! This chapter is all Draco and Hermione so I hope you like it! And tell me if you do so REVIEW!

Victoria

Chapter 33

Draco Malfoy sat in the head's dormitory reading one of his many textbooks. Nothing suited him more than sitting in front of a roaring fire and reading almost anything. Of course he tended to do this in secret for if anyone found out that he truly loved to read for fun he could possibly be put into the same category as that girl, that Granger person. There were many times that he turned around in fear that someone was coming up behind him, that someone would discover his secret. Today however was different, he was so involved in his Romance novel that he didn't hear the portrait door open and close as Hermione walked into their shared common room. She smirked as she saw him so entwined with the words on what appeared to be old tattered pages as she snuck around the room so that she was directly behind the couch that Draco was sitting on and silently peered over his shoulder, reading a few paragraphs of his rather steamy book, much to her surprise.

"Whatcha doin'?" she asked suddenly with a faint hint of laughter etched her voice. Draco jumped what seemed to be a foot off of the couch and snapped his book shut instantly.

"Merlin Granger! Don't sneak up on me like that you almost gave me a heart attack!" Draco protested trying desperately to hide his book in the cushions of the couch and keep Hermione distracted so she wouldn't notice. Unfortunately for Draco, Hermione was queen of multitasking and noticing little things, such as Draco's desperate attempts to shield his secret from her. Hermione laughed and bent over and snatched the book out of Draco's flustered hands, after which Draco immediately stood up.

"_A Pirate of Her Own_? Isn't this one of those trashy supermarket romance novels Draco?"

"No." A slight pink tinge began to creep up on Draco's face.

"Then what is with the picture on the front of the book? The damsel that appears to be in distress and a well built young man with perfect muscles and an unbuttoned shirt next to her?"

"Well he is known as theSea Wolf, a pirate who stops English navy ships an frees frightened American sailors. See and only a few know him as Morgan Drake, and nobody can figure out what he has done in his past except for this nosy reporter named Serenity James who is determined to protect him and his secrets no matter what! Plus, all her life, she had longed for adventure and since she's a woman she was lucky to even be tolerated in her father's newspaper office. Then she's kidnapped by what they say was a uh…" Draco snatched the book back from Hermione and flipped through a few pages looking for a certain line, "'bold, sexy pirate' whose life has fired up her imagination, and when he's with her she finds more of an adventure she could have ever hoped for!" Draco tried to explain with over exasperated hand gestures.

"I think you just answered my question." Hermione smirked.

"It's not a trashy romance novel!"

"Yes it is. 'An adventure she could have ever hoped for'? Really?" Hermione looked at Draco skeptically.

"Well," Draco ran a hand through his platinum blonde hair and rubbed the back of his neck trying come up with some excuse but had a great difficulty coming up with one.

"Right, well… you're not going to tell anyone are you?" Draco asked so meekly that it was downright adorable.

"What am I a Slytherin?" Hermione asked, mockingly offended.

"There are times when you could fool me." Hermione gasped and hit Draco playfully on the arm.

"That's not nice."

"But it's true. You're very sneaky."

"What can I say? Easier for me to help Harry that way. Hey can I borrow that when you're done with it?" Hermione made her way to the other side of the couch and sat down somewhat gracefully.

"You're still going to help Potter?" Draco said after a slight pause.

"Well yeah, I mean I've insisted that I would for years now. It's kind of going to happen weather we like it or not. Vold-"

"Don't say his name, please."

"Really?" Hermione asked slightly astounded.

"What, I just don't want to hear it. Because of him I grew up horribly. Sure my parents were great but I had all these horrible ideas impressed upon me." Draco explained.

"Draco it's not your fault."

"I still feel bad about it. Anyways, why do you have to go help him, you could get hurt or die. I could loose you, and I just got you. We all know that the final battle is going to before the end of the year."

"Draco-"

"Would it make any difference if I said I don't want you to go?"

"Draco I promised Harry, I'm not one to go back on my word." Hermione explained

"I guess that's why you're in Gryffindor then eh?" Draco tried to make a joke to lighten the growing tension in the air, but was unfortunately unsuccessful.

"I guess. I'm not going to die though. Getting hurt is a different problem. I'm not going to guarantee that I'm not going to get hurt."

"Can't you put yourself in some sort of bubble then?" Draco asked hopefully.

"And be bubble girl, the one who attracted all the attention of the Death Eaters because I was so easy to spot? I don't think so."

"Right." Draco huffed. "Well then I'd just have to go with you!" he offered hopefully.

"Draco." Hermione said softly.

"Listen, then I wouldn't have to worry about you all the time, hoping to hear some word from you, but knowing that sending word while you're on the run is impossible because you're trying to stay incognito. You see, then I could help you and protect you."

"Draco that sounds nice but—"

"Then we could be together all the time too, sure I'd have to get along with Potter but it'd be worth it if I could make sure you were safe." Draco looked hopefully into Hermione's eyes and they were spilling over with tears. "Hermione what's wrong?" Hermione shook her head in response; she was flooded with several emotions all at once. Happiness that someone would be willing to put their life on the line to make sure she was safe. Sadness because she knew that he could never go with them because he would be an instant source of attraction by his easily recognizable platinum blonde hair and the regality that he always carried himself with, not to mention the fact that the moment he disappeared he would be hunted for intensively, possibly more than Harry would be. And that would be dangerous for all of them.

"Draco you can't go." Hermione said softly trying to rid her tears from her eyes but they would not go away.

"Why the bloody not?" Draco demanded.

"Because for the same reasons you don't want me to go, and you're a Malfoy. You'd be hunted for more than Harry and I would be, just because you come from a famous pure blood family." Hermione looked into his eyes, which had clouded over with hopelessness. "Draco I wish you could come with Harry and me. I really do."

"I know. I still don't want you to go. Is there nothing I could say that could possibly make you stay?" Hermione shook her head solemnly, and Draco nodded his head in understanding his gaze turning back to the flickering flames in the enormous fireplace.

"Will it always be like this? We'll be happy and laughing one moment and then sad and depressed the next?" Hermione asked Draco hoping he had the answer she snuggled up to him and pulled his arm over him so it was wrapped around him.

"No. Once this war is over then there will be nothing to be depressed about everyday of our lives." Draco squeezed her closer to him and felt much more content with his life than he had in a very, very long time.


	34. Chapter 34

A/N sorry its been so long

A/N sorry its been so long! I had thought I had uploaded this chapter!! Guess I hadn't!! Reviews are nice too!!

Chapter 34

"Hermione I'm hungry. Can we leave yet?" Draco whined in Hermione's direction who was currently scribbling away on a piece of parchment as small as she possibly could while making her writing still legible.

"I'm almost done Draco can you just wait five more minutes?"

"You said that an hour ago!"

"Well go and eat something then for all I care." Hermione yelled over her shoulder.

"But if I leave you you'll never come down and get something to eat."

"I'll go down in a minute just—"

"No you won't, and we both know it. Listen that essay isn't due for a week just work on it after dinner if you have to finish it tonight."

"But—"

"No more excuses. We're leaving for dinner right now." Draco crossed his arms and stomped his foot for emphasis. Hermione looked at Draco with the best puppy dog eyes she could manage, trying to let Draco stay to work on her essay. "It's not going to work." Draco marched over to where Hermione sat and pulled her away from her homework.

"Fine. But when I get a bad grade on this I'm blaming you." Hermione protested as Draco lead her towards the portrait hole and down to the Great Hall.

"You never get a bad grade, ever." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Liar, I missed five points on the last History of Magic test!"

"The fact that you only missed five points on a History of Magic test is testament to the fact that you're a bloody genius." Draco huffed as he continued to pull along Hermione towards the Great Hall. When the two of them reached the ground floor Draco and Hermione separated from each other, both of them looked disappointed that they couldn't stroll into the Great Hall together without bickering with one another. They looked at each other's now free hand and noticed how there was a tingling feeling that made each one of them want to grab the other's hand.

"I'll see you later Granger." Draco tried to sneer in her face, but found it almost impossible to do so.

"Don't forget that we have to patrol tonight Malfoy. I don't want you to be skipping out on me again." Hermione tried with a great deal of effort to sound cruel and harsh and had as much trouble with it as Draco had appeared to have. Draco leaned down as if to kiss her when Hermione stepped back and gave him a warning glance and looked up and down the corridor.

"Right." Draco pulled back and gave a brief nod of his head and turned away from her and made his way through the enormous doors and disappeared from view. Hermione took a shuddering breath and closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. Today had been a tiring day for her. Between classes and all the drama that Ron had caused she didn't know how much more she could take before she went insane. Hermione stood there for a few more minutes hoping that no one would notice her absence from dinner.

When Hermione opened her eyes they widened in fear and she tried to step back farther into the wall, which unfortunately wouldn't move out of her way.

"What do you want?" Hermione demanded trying to stand up tall but couldn't help cowering slightly.

"I want to talk to you."

"Well you can't I don't want to hear anything you have to say." Hermione took a step to the left, towards the direction of the Great Hall.

"You will listen to me weather you want to or not." He took a step closer to her and Hermione tried effortlessly to make herself disappear into the wall. Hermione swallowed hard, her eyes darting around trying to figure out how to get out of there without getting hurt in someway.

"What do you want with me?" Hermione asked softly.

"I want you to stay away from Draco."

"Why? It's not like we're involved. I wouldn't want to be with him, he's a Malfoy after all."

"That's not what my informant has told me. Now stay away far away from him, I wouldn't want to have to kill a pretty face, or make him suffer the consequences for your foolish actions." With that he gently stroked her cheek and briskly turned around only to stroll haughtily away with his clock billowing behind him. Hermione clutched her hand to her chest, trying to steady her racing heartbeat. She was terrified. She tried to shake herself back to a calm state but couldn't do it, and she knew that she would have to make an appearance at dinner, now that Draco was expecting her and probably Harry as well she couldn't just avoid going to dinner. She closed her eyes and tried to make herself appear as normal as possible, as if nothing was wrong. She turned completely toward the direction of the Great Hall doors and made her way in with her head held high.

As Hermione strolled in she didn't look down the Slytherin table like she normally did, winking or gesturing to Draco went by not unnoticed by the Slytherin. He furrowed his brow, wondering what on Earth he could have possibly done to make her stop doing something that she did every day. He watched her as she made her way over to the Gryffindor table, sitting down next to Harry and Ginny and scooping only a few mashed potatoes on her plate. Something that was unusual for her since she normally ate a balanced meal, unless she was late for class. Draco thought of the consequences that would occur if he got up and talked to her. The Slytherin's of course would notice and then they would tell someone and it would eventually get back to his father. Something he was not willing to risk. Blaise poked him in the side trying to get him to stop starring at Hermione, for if anyone looked at him and followed his gaze it would be obvious who he was staring at worriedly, something that Draco was not known to do. Draco was startled slightly but regained his composure and ate his dinner like he normally did, as arrogantly as possible. But his title as Prince of Slytherin didn't keep him from worrying about the Gryffindor Princess. Something was up and he needed to know what.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

A/N hey guys! It's been a while so here is the next chapter! Hope you like it and review please! They are all ways greatly appreciated!

Chapter 35

Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table trying her hardest to ignore Draco, she didn't know who could be watching, who could possibly be informing him. For all she knew he could possibly be watching her right now. It scared her to pieces. There was nothing more she wanted to do than to run up to Draco and have him hold her tightly in his arms while she cried from her fear. She didn't know how on earth she would be able to tell Draco about this, not without risking everything. I tear formed in her eyes and she wiped it away before anyone saw it, or so she thought.

XoXoXo

Draco saw her wipe her eye and shake her head. He knew those movements and what they meant. It took all his effort not to jump up right then and rush over to the Gryffindor table. He now wished that he had sat on the other side of the table, so he could see Hermione trying not to cry and know that he couldn't do a thing about it. Draco feared that he could have done something to cause this. Nothing could have made him feel guiltier than watching Hermione cry, even though he figured that he hadn't done anything.

XoXoXo

Hermione stole a glance towards the Slytherin table searching for the mess of platinum blonde hair that she loved to run her fingers through. She spotted him, looking directly at her. She quickly averted her eyes, and felt like she was being utterly stupid. She was a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake, and here she was acting like a coward just because she was threatened by some oaf? She stabbed her mashed potatoes with fury and ate them with great purpose. But that still didn't stop her from being any less scared. He had threatened to kill her, and she knew that he wasn't kidding. She would have to tell Draco, they would have to talk about what to do. Nothing was going to stop her now. Nothing in the world.

XoXoXo

Draco continued to look at Hermione, worried down to the core. His eyes flickered when Hermione gave him fleeting look. He only wished that she had held his gaze for a moment longer. He was growing more and more furious at his lack of knowledge. He finally slammed down his fork startling the people around him.

"You alright Drakie?" Pansy cooed, and stroked his arm. Draco shrugged her off and left the table and the Great Hall at once. Blaise looked at Pansy and shrugged and moved slightly closer to each other so their feet touched under the table.

XoXoXo

Draco's exit had startled everyone in the Great Hall. Everyone was looking at the doors, wondering what on Earth could have possibly caused the Great Slytherin Prince's dramatic exit. Hermione looked down at her plate knowing that it would have had something to do with her. Harry nudged her.

"Do you know what that was about?" Hermione nodded, but ever so slightly so only Ginny and Harry could see her.

"What then?" Ginny peered closer from over the table so Hermione wouldn't have to talk so loud.

"Me."

"What? Why?" Ginny asked very concerned.

"I don't know, but I know it has to do about me."

"How?"

"I just do."

"Should you go talk to him?" Harry asked, unsure himself what he might do in the situation.

"Don't' you think that someone will notice if I follow him out." Hermione asked worriedly looking around the Great Hall, trying to see if anyone was watching her.

"I don't think so, but you need to go Hermione." Ginny told her firmly, and Hermione nodded. She set down her fork and slowly stood up she lifted her hand and gave a sort of wave in Harry's and Ginny's direction. Harry and Ginny both looked at each other, concern obvious on each of their faces.

"Do you think something's up." Harry asked Ginny, who was much better at reading Hermione that he was.

"Most definitely, I think she's scared. But I don't know why?" Ginny said worriedly as she turned around so her eyes followed Hermione out of the Great Hall.

XoXoXo

Hermione had walked out of the Great Hall about five minutes ago, and was now heading towards the head's dormitory. She couldn't help but look over her shoulder and pause and corridors to make sure that she was alone. She stood at the portrait now and sighed in relief as she approached it.

"Password?"

"Manicore." Hermione whispered, and the portrait door swung gracefully open. Hermione quickly clambered through the opening and shut the portrait quickly behind her. She looked in the mirror that sat across from the opening and saw that her hair was a complete mess, well more so than usual, her clothes were slightly ruffled from her clinging to them tightly whenever she heard a noise.

"What the hell happened to you?" Draco asked somewhat coldly, upon seeing Hermione's current and uncommon state of disarray.

"He found me earlier." Hermione whispered scared of what might happen if she told him.

"Who that Weasel face? 'Cause I'll beat him to a pulp if he—"Draco had stood up and begun using hand gestures too imitate what he might do.

"No. No, not Ron." Hermione shivered and she once more wrapped her arms around herself. Draco stopped when he saw her shiver, he walked over to her and put an arm around her and guided her to the couch.

"Does this have anything to do with dinner?" Hermione nodded trying to ensure that her breathing stayed normal.

"Who was it?"

"It was him, your father."

"BLOODY HELL!" Draco jumped up from Hermione and began pacing in front of the couch. How the hell could he have found out? The only Slytherin that knows is Blaise."

"Well it wouldn't be Blaise would it?"

"No, it couldn't possibly I have so much dirt on him he wouldn't dare screw me over." Draco waved his hand in the air dismissing the idea.

"But then who could it be?"

"Who do we know that would do anything to make sure we aren't together?" Draco wondered aloud.

"Pansy?" Hermione offered.

"No Pansy is with Blaise."

"She is? I could never – Oh my god. He wouldn't he, he couldn't possibly—"Hermione muttered in shock.

"What? What is it?" Draco stopped pacing and looked Hermione directly in the eye.

"Ron."


	36. Chapter 36

Draco looked at Hermione in disbelief

Chapter 36

Draco looked at Hermione in disbelief.

"Ron? As in the Weasley? That Ron?" Hermione nodded slowly, her eyes moved away from Draco and glazed over as she stared deeply into the flickering flames.

"What other Ron do we know?" Hermione asked him shock still etched in her voice.

"It couldn't possibly him. He's a scumbag sure but even I would never picture him doing something _that_ low." Draco tried to shake the notion from his head; he tried to find some other person that could possibly do something like this, some Slytherin. The fact that a Gryffindor, let alone Hermione's best… well former best friend, he couldn't wrap his brain around.

"Think about it Draco what other person would want me to be as far away from you as possible, that know about us?" Draco's mouth opened to protest but no words could come out to retort. Hermione's logic made sense; Ron was the only one that he could think of that would do anything to keep them apart. He resisted the urge of hitting something, like the stone wall, and sat down next to Hermione and stared into the fire as well.

"Hermione, what did my father say to you exactly?"

"To stay away from you or else he'll—" Hermione looked at Draco, her eyes wide.

"Kill you." Draco finished for her.

"Yeah. Do you think we should tell Dumbledore about this and what we think?" asked Hermione.

"You know how I hate trusting that old coot." Draco protested, he didn't want to have to go back to Dumbledore in the same day with another problem.

"Well the other option is that I stay away from you. I'm sure you would love that."

"Not really." Draco sighed knowing that he would pick the Dumbledore option; despite is hatred of having to depend on others. He had always been taught that Malfoy's don't need to depend on anyone but themselves, despite the fact that being a bloody Malfoy had got him into this whole disaster.

"Right, so go to Dumbledore or follow your father's terms you pick."

"Anything to keep you around." Draco chuckled tensely.

"Thanks." A momentary silence fell between the two. Hermione leaned against Draco's heaving chest and closed her eyes as Draco wrapped the arm that was lying on the back of the couch around her gently, pulling her closer to him.

"Draco?" Hermione whispered.

"Hmm?" Draco pulled his eyes from the flickering flames and looked down into Hermione's eyes.

"I'm scared."

"I know, I'm scared too." Draco pulled her even closer to him wiping away a single tear that fell from her eye.

"Do you think it would be better if I do just stay away from you?"

"Hermione," Draco lifted her chin with her finger so that he could gaze at her with ease. "Don't ever think that. I will do all in my power to protect you, no matter what." Hermione nodded and wrapped her arms around Draco's waist holding onto him to make sure he didn't disappear into thin air. Draco closed his eyes and bent down to kiss the top of Hermione's head, then began to stroke the back of her bushy chestnut brown hair.

"You know we still have to patrol the school tonight." Hermione said softly as she continued to hold on tightly to Draco.

"I wonder how interesting tonight is going to be, how many couples to you think we'll find tonight?"

"I dunno, maybe about four, what do you think?" Hermione breathed

"I was thinking that we wouldn't find any." Hermione gave Draco an odd look as he normal guessed about eight or nine. Draco looked down at Hermione and gave her a sly wink before returning his gaze to the roaring fire.


	37. Chapter 37

The portrait door that led to the Head's dormitory opened, and down jumped Draco Malfoy through the now revealed hole and into the dark hallway

The portrait door that led to the Head's dormitory opened, and down jumped Draco Malfoy through the now revealed hole and into the dark hallway.

"Great night to go patrolling." Draco chuckled slightly to himself before turning back around and extending his hand upward to meet Hermione's to guide her out of the Head's dormitory.

"Thank you." Hermione landed in front of Draco, smiling.

"So are we supposed to report to our beloved deputy headmistress now" Draco took a step closer to Hermione.

"Yes, if we don't leave now we'll be late." Hermione breathed staring at his moving chest. She looked up into Draco's eyes and smiled softly as she saw his grey orbs swirl with passion. Draco reached up and stroked Hermione's face softly then placed a stubborn curl that had refused to stay in her loose bun behind her ear. As he did, he bent down slowly to her ear, causing Hermione to stop breathing momentarily.

"I think we can afford to be late once." Draco whispered. Hermione closed her eyes as Draco pulled away from her slowly.

"Just—just this once would be alright I suppose." Hermione looked up at Draco and he immediately crashed down on her lips. Hermione threw her arms around Draco's neck as he began to push her back, so she rammed into that wall behind her, causing her to moan against his lips. Draco pulled back then however. Hermione was startled and looked slightly put out.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked, panting slightly.

"I thought I told you." Draco said, a smirk that was not his own etched upon his features. Hermione pulled her arms from around his neck and placed her hands on his chest.

"You thought you told me what?" Hermione's eyes began to flood with worry. Questions and doubts began to form in her mind.

"I thought I told you to stay away from me." A voice came out of Draco's throat that did not sound like Draco at all.

"What?" Hermione pulled back as much as she could from him, being pinned up against a wall. "Draco?"

"Sorry. Draco's not here right now. But if you'd like to leave a message, I'll be sure that he never gets it. Oh and don't expect him to come running to your rescue anytime soon. Draco is currently incapacitated at the moment. Well more like indefinitely." The strange voice that came out of Draco's mouth laughed cruelly as Hermione began to shake in fear and tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Draco?" she whispered.

"Pity, you really were such an amazing kisser." He raised his wand to her temple, and she watched as the Draco that stood before her melt away into Lucius Malfoy, her eyes widened further in fear as she realized what had just happened and what was going to happen in only a moment. Hermione closed her eyes as she tried to regain control of herself, but failing miserably. Lucius pulled up her chin so that she was looking at him when she reopened her eyes. "Funny thing, Polyjuice Potion. It even fooled you, and you're supposed to be the smartest witch in quite some time." Lucius pulled back his wand from her temple and twirled it around in his fingers. "You know I would ask for your last words, but I really don't want to hear them." He chuckled softly. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Avada Kadavera." Hermione screamed as the life left her and she crumpled to the floor.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"Hermione! Hermione!" Draco shook Hermione furiously, trying to wake her up to get her to stop screaming. He was getting desperate, he pulled out his wand and filled a glass with ice cold water before pouring it over her face. Hermione gasped as the cold water hit her. Her eyes opened and began searching the area around, unable to truly register completely what was going on.

"Where am I?" Hermione whispered.

"You're in the common room." Draco leaned over so that his head was directly above hers, so she could see his face completely. Hermione's eyes then swiveled to focus completely on Draco.

"Draco?" Hermione voice was so soft that Draco could barely hear her.

"Hermione, it's alright. It's me. You just had a—"

"Stay away from me!" Hermione pushed Draco so that he hit the other side of the couch. Hermione quickly scrambled up and began searching through her robes for her wand.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" Draco stood up from the couch his hands up and took a step toward her.

"I said stay away from me!"

"Hermione please just tell me what's going on? You were asleep!" Draco tried to calm Hermione down as she finally found her wand and pointed it directly at his chest.

"I was asleep? You killed Draco!"

"Hermione, I'm right here."

"Likely story Lucius, why should I believe that you're Draco?"

"BECAUSE YOU WERE ASLEEP!" Draco yelled, startling Hermione and himself.

"Prove it, tell me something that only Draco would know." Hermione kept her wand pointed directly at Draco's chest.

"Ok, um, let me think. Oh, remember the time when Snape paired us up in class in January? Remember how we pretended to argue throughout class but each of really had made up different meanings for all the mean things that we used call each other? We had spent hours the previous night laughing making up the list." Hermione lowered her wand to her side.

"I was asleep?" Hermione asked her cheeks becoming fairly flushed.

"Yes," Draco breathed, "Hermione what did you dream that could have possibly made you act like this?"

"Draco it was so terrifying." Hermione looked down to the floor as tears began to well up in her eyes. Draco quickly moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her, letting Hermione cry on his chest.

"Shhh, it's alright. None of it happened."

"Draco he killed you then impersonated you to kill me. It could happen though."

"Relax; it won't happen we are much to smart to ever let that happen, alright? Listen to me; nothing can ever take me away from you." Draco picked up her chin and planted a kiss on her forehead. Hermione closed her eyes and nodded, earning her a quick peck on the lips from Draco. "Do you feel up to patrolling tonight or do you want me to go alone?"

"No, I'll come with you; I don't want to be alone at the moment." Hermione looked into Draco's eyes, hoping that he would agree.

"If you're sure. We ought to leave now though; we won't be early like we always are however."

"Oh! We needed to go like fifteen minutes ago! Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

"Maybe because you looked so beautiful while you slept, until you started screaming. One question, what was happening in your dream before all the scary stuff happened?"

"We were leaving to go out patrolling. Why?" A slight blush crept across Hermione's cheeks as she remembered what she was actually doing with the fake Draco.

"No reason, I was just wondering why you were moaning my name." Draco smirked and laughed as he pulled Hermione to the door with a look of embarrassment across her face.

"I was talking in my sleep?" Hermione asked as Draco helped her jump to the ground.

"Oh yes, it's always very entertaining to watch you sleep." Draco laughed, his hand still entwined with Hermione's.

"I talk in my sleep often?" The pink tint that was across her face only moments before was now the hue of a ripe tomato. Draco nodded and Hermione looked down at the ground mortified. "What do I normally say?"

"Usually it's incoherent, but sometimes I get other very funny things to hear, wild fantasies and such."

"Oh Merlin." Hermione muttered as she and Draco turned around the corner, heading towards McGonagall's office.

"Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me." Draco pulled her closer to him so that he could wrap his arm around her shoulders and kiss the top of her head.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Chapter 39

"I thought it was funny." Draco chuckled.

"How was it funny that McGonagall thought that something had happened to us?" Hermione asked, slightly appalled.

"It was funny because she thought something had happened to us because we weren't early but on time. You must see some sort of humor in that." Draco asked somewhat skeptically.

"I don't." Hermione said sternly.

"You're frustrating." Draco sighed.

"You love me anyways." Hermione smiled up at Draco and squeezed his hand. Draco looked down at her and shook his head.

"I guess so." Draco smiled and kissed her forehead as they kept walking down the apparently deserted hallway, but Hermione stopped walking anyways as they approached a broom cupboard and walked softly and slowly to it and pressed her ear against the wood, and smiled.

"You know I think you're going to loose your bet." She whispered.

"What bet? Oh, that bet, well you haven't opened the door yet. I can still whisk you away." Draco wiggled his eyebrows and Hermione tried to stop herself from laughing as she reached for the handle. Draco quickly rushed over and snatched her hand away from the handle and pushed her against the door.

"Oh, so you're a big scary man tonight?" Hermione whispered, knowing that the couple inside the broom cupboard probably had stopped doing whatever they were doing once they heard her back slam against the door.

"I'm going to win that bet." Draco said huskily trying to get Hermione to walk away from the cupboard. Hermione however resisted melting right there and stood her ground as she wiggled and arm down and to the handle. Draco followed her every movement, watching her turn the handle and ready to pull the door wide open. He could only picture the terrified looks on the two inside, neither of them knowing who it could be who had come to spoil their fun and most likely give them detention for at least a week. Draco smiled at this thought and he pulled Hermione back and the door opened along with it. He peeked inside to see who it was and his mouth dropped open. Hermione looked at him quizzically and turned so that her head could look around the door and her eyes widened in pure and utter shock.

"Crabbe?" Draco whispered.

"Goyle?" Hermione asked slightly appalled. Draco and Hermione shared a look and then looked back at the two inside the broom cupboard.

"What is going on here?" Draco asked still in utter shock.

"Nothing." Goyle said hopefully.

"You know what I don't want to know. Get out of here." Draco stood aside from the door and let the two boys file past them.

"You aren't going to give them detention." Hermione asked.

"Do you really want to be the one to explain this to a teacher?" Draco asked.

"No."

"Exactly." Draco turned his attention back to Goyle and Crabbe. "Now don't let us catch you two doing whatever the hell you were doing ever again. Bed. Now." Draco pointed in the direction of the Slytherin common room and shook his head in frustration as the two turned around the corner. "I think I could have lived my life quite well without ever knowing that something was going on between the two of them." Draco shuddered.

"Sorry." Hermione ruffled Draco's platinum blonde locks and he faced her as she smiled. "I still can't believe you didn't give them a detention that's like your favorite past time."

"I didn't want to have to deal with that, not now. Not ever." Draco closed his eyes and shuddered as horrible mental pictures flashed across his mind. Hermione chuckled.

"So next time we catch some of my friends snogging, we wont bust them and give them detention right?" Hermione smiled.

"But why not?" Hermione gave Draco a skeptical look. "Oh fine. Spoil my fun." Hermione smiled and stood on her tip toes to kiss Draco's nose.

"It's my job. I'm Draco Malfoy's royal fun sucker."

"Indeed." Draco and Hermione laughed and Draco steered Hermione away from the now contaminated broom cupboard. "You know, from now on every time I walk down this hall that's all I'm going to be able to think of." Draco shuddered again and Hermione laughed.

"We could fix that." Hermione offered.

"How." Draco inquired very mush interested on how Hermione could possibly make all those horrible thoughts disappear.

"Well you could pull me into that broom cupboard right there and snog me senseless." She said simply, before looking up at Draco and giving him a sly smile.

"I love the way you think." Draco grabbed her hand and threw open the door as he reached it, pulled her inside, and shut the door firmly behind him.

"You always have the best ideas." And Draco pushed Hermione up against the door and attacked her lips with a fiery passion that could out do the same level of wrath as Ginny Weasley's fiery temper. Hermione's arms had once again found their way around his neck and one of her hands was in his hair trying desperately to pull him even closer to her mouth. Draco's arms were trying to do the same thing; his arms had wrapped themselves around her waist and tried to puller her impossibly closer. Brief pauses were made when oxygen was needed but for no more than a spilt second. Tongues darted vigorously against each other's, neither one wanting to give up in the exhilarating battle for dominance.

Hermione was still pinned up against the door when a brief rapid knock came from the other side of the door, causing both Head's to freeze and Hermione's head turned away from Draco so the side of her face was flushed with the door. Draco cleared his throat however and Hermione shot him a warning glance, Draco only gave her a clam and reassuring glimpse.

"Yes?" Draco said with a quite harsh voice that Hermione rarely ever actually heard. It sounded protective and heated. She resisted laughing as Draco unknowingly pulled her closer. The door then swung open and a very flustered Flitch stood before them. "Can we help you?" Draco asked in a seemingly polite tone to anyone who didn't actually know Draco personally, whom to other wise it was harsh and cruel.

"Students out of bed receive detention for a week." Filtch said in a somewhat blissful tone, but Draco only smirked.

"It seems that you've forgotten Mr. Filtch that as Head's we are allowed to be out after hours." Draco said flatly.

"Only to patrol the corridors. It's in the school bi-laws."

"And we have done so, it also says in the school bi-laws that Head students are aloud free reign of the school as long as they are not misbehaving and all duties assigned to them have been complete for that night." Draco quoted and Filtch looked appalled. He immediately took out his pocket version and thumbed through the pages until he got to the passage that Draco had quoted verbatim.

"Alright, Mr. Malfoy," Filtch said crossly as he snapped his little book shut and stuffed it into his robe pocket, "I guess you win this round, but I'll be keeping my eye on you."

"Right, now if you excuse us, we were busy." Draco smirked and reached out and grabbed the door handle and shut the door firmly, pulled out his wand and placed a few simple charms on the door.

"Just in case, I really don't want to be disturbed again. Now where were we?" Hermione laughed and reached up into Draco's luscious platinum blonde hair and pulled his head down so that his lips met her own again.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

**It was around midnight when Draco and Hermione stumbled out of the broom cupboard, both of their lips bruised and sore. Hermione chuckled slightly when she saw Draco's lips.**

"**I guess patrolling wasn't very successful was it?" Hermione asked looking around the dark deserted hall.**

"**Not at all." Draco placed a stray lock of Hermione's hair behind her ear. **

"**McGonagall is going to wonder why we didn't give any detentions tonight." Hermione placed her hands on her hips and sighed.**

"**We couldn't find anyone, simple as that." Draco said simply, and shrugged his shoulders. **

"**Still," Hermione turned away from Draco and walked over to the window and looked out to the grounds. "I worry." **

"**What do you worry about?" Draco leaned against the wall gazing at Hermione, appreciating how the moon light radiated a soft glow on Hermione's features. **

"**School, our Head duties, your father, my friends, us, and the list goes on." Hermione turned away from the window to face Draco, and extended her hand to beckon him over to her. Draco sighed and moved from his comfortable position and walked gracefully over to Hermione grabbing her hand as he reached her. Hermione pulled his arms around her waist as she turned once more to gaze at the grounds. Hermione leaned back on Draco's chest and closed her eyes.**

"**You don't have to worry." Draco mumbled softly into her hair, Hermione nodded and craned her neck around to look at Draco's face. **

"**I have to worry, it's what I do. I worry."**

"**I don't want you to worry, especially about us, or my father."**

"**But how can I not? We were entirely dependent on your father not knowing, but he knows now, Draco he threatened to kill me. Of course I'm going to worry."**

"**I won't let him touch you. You know that right?"**

"**I know, but then that makes me worry about you getting hurt. See, I have to worry." Draco kissed her forehead. **

"**We really ought to get back to our dorm."**

"**Yeah." Hermione breathed, her attention had turned back to the scenery outside. "I wish we could go outside, it's so beautiful." **

"**It really is." Draco kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms tighter around her, pulling her closer.**

**Draco and Hermione stood there for a moment just enjoying the silence and each other's company, Draco looked down at Hermione considering something, contemplating reactions and everything else that could possibly happen if he said what he deeply wanted too. He could see both the good and the bad outcomes of the situation but the bad was nothing compared to the good.**

"**Hermione can I ask you a question?"**


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

**Hermione turned her head slightly and looked up at Draco questionably. "I think you just did." Hermione smirked at him and Draco shook his head. "I suppose you could ask me another one though." **

"**You're so kind." Draco teased.**

"**Always." There was a slight pause as the two of them stared out the window enjoying the view and the comfort they had standing there with Draco holding Hermione in his arms. "So what was your question?" Hermione inquired her eyes now focusing on a swaying tree on the edge of the forbidden forest.**

"**It's nothing of great importance. I was just wondering if you'd like –"**

"**What the bloody hell is going on here?" Draco and Hermione's heads turned in a flash and let their eyes focus to the darkness that enveloped the hall, and as their eyes did, Draco's hold on Hermione grew tighter as her eyes grew wider. **

"**Can I help you?" Draco said darkly, so much so that it even made Hermione tremble slightly by the fierceness that echoed in every word.**

"**Yeah, you can let go of my girl." Ron stepped further out of the darkness and into the moonlight. **

"**How many times does we have to tell you? She's not yours, and she never will be. Despite what my father has to say about it." Draco said harshly.**

"**Figured that one out quickly didn't you? Well, I'm not entirely surprised. Hermione is so smart after all. Bet you were the one to figure it out Hermione." Ron said softly, taking another step towards the couple. Hermione shrank back into Draco's arms for even more protection from her faux-ex. **

"**You're supposed to be in bed, and you're supposed to stay away from her." Draco pulled on Hermione so that she was behind him as he turned to face Ron completely, shielding her from him. **

"**Yet here I am. What are you going to do? Take away points? Give me detention? Send me to Dumbledore? What in Merlin's name are you going to do to me?" Ron reached into his pocket and drew out his wand causing Hermione to tug Draco back a step, fearing for him. Ron began to snake the wand through his fingers.**

"**What are you going to do Weasley, hex me?" Draco drew his attention away from Ron's wand to his face. Draco's facial expression grew hard as Ron pointed his wand at Draco's chest. **

"**I think I'll do much worse than just hex you. Torture sounds much better." Draco's expression remained neutral without much effort on his part. He turned away slightly from him and faced Hermione.**

"**Get away from me. I don't want you to get hurt." Draco said softly.**

"**I don't think so, this is my fault I'm not moving an inch." Hermione said forcefully, looking directly into Draco's eyes. **

"**Hermione—"**

"**No, you move aside so I can take care of this. This is my problem, not yours. Do you understand me? I'm not letting you get in between Ron and me any longer. I won't have it." Hermione sidestepped Draco and marched over directly to Ron, standing in front of his wand so that it was pointing at her temple. "Put. That. Thing. Away. Now." Hermione said harshly, Ron glared at her but lowered his wand nonetheless. **

"**Hermione, you have to stay away from him. His father will kill you if you don't."**

"**Yes, no thanks to you for that."**

"**Can't you see that it was the only way? It's the only way that you'd come back to me!" **

"**In what strange alternate universe would I ever come back to you? Especially after putting me in a position that could get me killed! In case you haven't noticed Ronald, you're a complete loser! Who would ever want to be with a guy that is so possessive that he's willing to put her in a position that could possibly get her killed? You're dead to me, nothing will ever change that. Ever." Hermione glowered at Ron and he glared at her just as much. Draco however was getting worried, he hadn't seen how angry he could get, but he had heard the rumors around school as well as the stories that Hermione had told him. He decided that he had to intervene and he walked over to Hermione and put his arm around her shoulders to lead her away. Ron and Hermione's attention turned to him at once, Hermione smiled softly and Ron sneered at his presence.**

"**I think we're done here Ronald." Hermione place her arm around Draco's torso and pulled him closer to her for support.**

"**You think so. I can't believe that you would choose him over me. You're a crazy wench." Ron spat in her face and that sent Draco over the edge. Draco pushed Hermione aside and swung his arm so that it connected with Ron's jaw. Ron stumbled back and tightened his grip around his wand and pointed it back at Draco's chest.**

"**Crucio!" Draco flew back and began writhing on the floor in pain. Hermione screamed and ran to his side. **

"**Stop it Ron! Stop it now!" Hermione screamed at him as tears fell down her face.**

"**Make me." Ron said harshly, keeping his wand trained on Draco. Hermione's mind raced as she watched Draco cry out in pain, begging for her to make it stop. Hermione looked at Draco and then at Ron and an idea formed in her brain. She slowly stood up from Draco's side and took a deep breath, and walked over to Ron. She stepped in front of him and looked up at his face. She placed both hands on each side his face and kissed him, breaking his focus. She sighed relived as she heard Draco stop screaming, but got scared as Ron's arms wrapped tightly around her waist, his hands going lower than even Draco dared to do with out her consent. She played her part well though; she wrapped her arms around his neck and ran one of her hands through his hair, as if to pull him closer. She knew she would have to keep this up until Draco could get back up and rescue her from this torture. It was impossible for her to imagine that Ron was Draco, he was to rough. He was more into making sure that he could get what he wanted than doing anything for her. Hermione made sure that Ron was to preoccupied to notice when Draco stood up and began to slowly make his way towards the two. Neither one of them saw the furry that was clearly evident on Draco's features, and Ron didn't notice the strong magic that began to fill the hall, but Hermione did and she sighed, oddly relived that Draco was furious. Hermione broke the kiss slowly, making it seem as if she was coming up for air and found that his grip on her was to strong for her to break easily. But as she pulled back further she found that Ron's grip on her relaxed, much to her surprise and she was able to break free of his grip and wrench the wand from his hand before Ron even realized what was going on. Hermione stepped back slowly from Ron, but was even more cautious as she approached Draco, the magic that radiated from him seemed strong enough to crumble the entire castle. She watched Ron as he noticed the strength and might of the fury of Draco's magic, and she watched the fear well up inside him as he realized that all of it was directed at him. **

"**Draco." Hermione whispered and Draco turned his gaze to her. His eyes seemed as red as Voldemort's and so full of wrath that it almost broke her heart. "Draco, please. Don't do anything rash. Control yourself. I love you, please don't do anything that you could regret." Hermione pleaded, her heart was crying out for his soft grey eyes that she loved so much to return. Her mind willed the magic in the room to diminish from around her. She wanted her Draco back, not this terrifying creature that had been brought on by this one simple act. She watched as Draco looked her over and saw the tears that were falling down her face, he reached out slowly and brushed them away, and his eyes turned once more to their normal hue. Hermione at once wrapped her arms around Draco's waist and hugged him tightly, as Draco stroked the back of her hair, before the two of them turned back to face Ron, with both of their wand's outstretched.**

"**I think it's time we paid a visit to Dumbledore." Draco said weakly, still drained from enduring Ron's curse and the amount of fury and rage that had flowed out from him only moments before. He tried to stand on his own two feet, but felt his knees almost give out from underneath him. Hermione kept both wands trained on Ron as she supported Draco. She helped Draco approach him and pushed the two wands into his back.**

"**Move." Hermione said forcefully, sick and tired of Ron's twisted games. **

**Moving forward through the dark hallways and up flights of stairs, they reached Dumbledore's office. **

"**Black Licorice." Hermione said darkly, the Gargoyle gave her an odd look but stepped aside nonetheless. "Up you go." Hermione pushed the wands deeper into Ron's back and pushed up the flight of stairs until they reached the door that led into Dumbledore's office, and Hermione knocked briskly on the polished wood and waited until Dumbledore himself opened the door. **

"**Now what do owe this late – oh I see." Dumbledore saw the two wands that Hermione had pressed into Ron's back and stepped aside. "Please, come in." Dumbledore watched as the three filed in and became curious at the effort that Hermione had to put into helping Draco. Dumbledore closed the door behind them and took his seat behind his desk. "Hermione, Draco, please have a seat. Mr. Weasley it appears fitting that you should stand for this, does it not?"**

"**I believe I have no other choice Professor." Ron said shifting his weight nervously. **

"**Very well, now miss Granger would you care to inform me on why you had both yours and Mr. Weasley's wand trained on Mr. Weasley."**

"**He used an unforgivable Professor. I thought that it seemed fit to do so."**

"**Am I right to assume that he used the Cruciatus Curse on Mr. Malfoy?"**

"**That you are Professor, unfortunate as it is."**

"**That is particularly dire I am afraid. I will have to inform your parents Mr. Weasley as well as the Ministry. You do know that the standard punishment for using the curse is life in Azkaban do you not?" Dumbledore peered over his spectacles and watched Ron for his reaction. He was shaking but nodded slowly. Unable to believe that something like this could happen to him. He did believe however that this was all Hermione's fault. **

"**This is quite an unfortunate series of events and of course the school board will be notified, I will try to keep these events hushed up to an extent. I will try to prevent Lucius from finding out about the two of you, however—"**

"**He already knows, not to thank this git." Draco pushed growled, and Dumbledore looked Ron over thoroughly. **

"**I see, I had always expected so much more of you Mr. Weasley. Nevertheless, I see that my faith in you was misplaced as well as the faith of Miss Granger and Mr. Potter and the entire school. I hope you will think that over. Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy. You may return to your dormitories." **

"**Thank you Professor." Hermione stood up and Draco stood up ever so slowly, almost falling to the ground once more before Hermione caught him. She pulled Draco back up and led him to the door. **

"**Aren't you going to say anything to me Hermione?' Ron spun around and called out to her, begging for some sort of acknowledgment from her. **

"**I don't talk to strangers." Hermione said softly over her shoulder, pausing before guiding Draco out the door and walking as far away as she could from someone who used to be one of the mot important parts in her life.**


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42 Chapter 42

"Hermione." Draco said weakly as she placed him down on the couch in the Head's common room.

"Hmm?" Hermione fluffed up some pillows and placed them down on the edge of the couch making it a comfortable spot for Draco to lie down. "I hope you don't mind, I just don't think I can help you up anymore stairs today, you should be fine in the morning after you sleep."

"Hermione, thank you. Go to bed, you don't have to stay here and help me."

"I know I don't have to, but I am if you like it or not. Now lie down." Hermione gently pushed on Draco's shoulders, causing him to fall backwards onto the pillows that she had fluffed up for him to sleep on. Draco grabbed her wrists as she moved to grab him a blanket, startling her slightly.

"I love you." Draco breathed, making Hermione smile and she bent down and gave Draco a peck on the lips.

"I love you too." Draco released her and watched her as she made her way up to his room to grab one of his blankets. He closed his eyes and rubbed his chest where Ron's spell had hit him. "Does it still hurt?" Hermione asked as she came back into the room, carrying Draco's softest blanket.

"Not really." Draco opened his eyes and watched her as she draped the blanket over him. "Thank you." Hermione smiled and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Hermione smiled and turned down the lamp that stood by the couch. She turned and made her way to her stairs before stopping on the first step and turning around, her face held a curious expression across it. "Draco?"

"Yes?" Draco reopened his tried eyes and looked at her silhouette that the light from the stairwell had created.

"What were you going to ask me earlier?" Hermione inquired.

"Oh, um, it's not important right now." Draco's eyes opened a bit wider, thoughts churning through his head.

"I still want to know." Hermione stepped back down off the step and made her way back to the couch, leaning against the back so that she was looking down at him.

"I don't think it's appropriate right now."

"Draco please."

"Alright, you'll think it's silly though."

"Try me anyways." Hermione insisted, even more curious what this question could possibly be.

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to marry me." Draco said softly his gaze averted from her and Hermione's eyes widened.

"You thought asking me to marry you would be silly?" Hermione asked slightly hurt.

"What? Oh Merlin, No!" Draco sat up in a flash, scared that Hermione's mind would jump to the wrong conclusion and stay there. "I thought it would be silly to ask you after that incident with Weasley! I would never think marrying you to be something silly!"

"Oh, well as long as it's not some silly thing to you." Hermione looked away slightly embarrassed, Draco grabbed her hand and cupped her cheek pulling her face back so that she was looking at him.

"So, um will you? Marry me, that is? I had wanted to do it earlier but—" Hermione kissed him gently on the lips, shutting him up, and pulled back slowly nodding.

"There is nothing that I would love more than to marry you." Draco sighed in relief and kissed her again.

"I think you should sleep here tonight." Draco offered and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"I'll be right back though, I'll need to change out of my robes." Draco pouted when Hermione got out of his reach making Hermione laugh. "I'll be right back, remember." She called as she turned out of sight up the stairwell. Draco laid back on the couch, trying not to fall asleep before he could wrap his arms around her tightly.

XoXoXo

When Hermione came back downstairs in her fuzzy blue pajamas she smiled brightly, glad to see that Draco was still awake, waiting for her. She ran over to the couch and laid down in Draco's open arms, snuggling up to him in the process, resting her head on his chest.

"Draco?" Hermione looked up at him smiling broadly.

"Hmm?"

"Do I get a ring?" She watched as Draco's face paled.

"A- a ring?" Draco stuttered, his eyes growing huge.

"Yes, you know it's that thing that usually goes on one's finger." Hermione grined evilly as she saw Draco's panicked look.

"Right, a ring, well um about that…" Draco started and looked down at Hermione and her evil grin and paused for a moment. "Are you doing this just to make me fret?" Draco asked slightly amused.

"Mhmm." Hermione smiled, "You're adorably cute when you do that."

"Well thanks, I think. I kind of thought it was odd that you would ask for a ring."

"Well I would like one, you know eventually, but nothing fancy."

"Nothing fancy? But I should be getting you one that puts all others to shame! It should be dazzling covered with perfect diamonds and other precious jewels

and—"

"Draco I don't want something that's going to give me a workout just to carry around on my finger. I just want something simple. Three stones max, and I'll be nice and let you get flawless ones as well. Alright?" Hermione smiled as Draco huffed.

"Fine, I don't like it, but fine."

"Thank you, plus we don't want to be giving it away that you're the one I'm marrying. Any ring that huge would be an instant indicator. Plus, I like simple."

"Alright. As you wish." Draco sighed as he hugged Hermione closer to him.

"Love you." Hermione laughed into his chest.

"You better." Draco said arrogantly and Hermione hit him playfully on his chest before finding a comfortable position in his arms and closing her eyes. "I love you too." He said softly into her hair as he closed his eyes as well and Hermione smiled, enjoying the peace and quiet and his warmth.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The next morning Hermione woke up much to her displeasure, but as she looked up at Draco she suppressed a laugh. Draco's mouth was wide open and his nose was scrunched up. She thought that it was hilarious that Draco spent so much time making sure that he looked so perfect during his waking moments that it was downright hilarious that he looked so imperfect while he slept. Making sure that she didn't disturb him while he slept, she slowly craned her neck around to catch a glimpse of the clock that rested over the fireplace. As she did she sat up with a start, waking up Draco in the process.

"Whazthematta?" Draco mumbled in his tired state.

"Class started half an hour ago! And we have potions first! Do you know how much Snape is going to rip into us?" Hermione yelled.

"Hermione." Draco yawned, "I'm Snape's favorite. I've strolled into class countless times and he has never ripped into me."

"That's all fine and dandy for you, but what about me? I'm the annoying Gryffindor know-it-all! He's always picking on me!" Hermione rambled on frustrated.

"You're not annoying." Draco propped himself up with his arm.

"That's not the point." Hermione stood up from the couch and began gathering her books and assignments and stuffing them into her bag. Draco watched as Hermione stormed around the room and felt slightly guilty. She wouldn't have stayed down in the common room if he hadn't asked her too.

Draco sat up, cringing slight from a sudden pain in his chest, reminding him of everything that had happened the previous night. Hermione and him patrolling, fighting with Ron, talking to Dumbledore, Hermione helping him back to the common room, him asking her to marry him.

Draco paused for a moment, everything in the room disappearing from sight. He could believe that he had forgotten the one thing that he had loved about last night, besides kissing her with no point in stopping. Smiling he stood up from the couch, walked up to Hermione who was currently bent over a desk shuffling through pieces of parchment trying to find various homework assignments and then putting them in the correct order. He stopped behind her and grabbed a hand that was free for a moment and spun her around, sending various papers to the ground. Hermione looked hopelessly at the papers on the ground before looking up at Draco and huffing at him.

"What?" Hermione sighed before Draco bent down and kissed her, wrapping his arms ever so tightly around her. Hermione's hands found their way around his neck naturally. Draco pulled back slowly, smiling.

"I love you." Draco said so matter-of-factly that it sort of surprised Hermione, but she smiled nonetheless, reaching back up to peck Draco on the lips again before letting go of him and bending down to pick up the papers that she had dropped. As she stood up and faced the desk to finish collecting her papers Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione and placed gentle kisses on her neck, causing Hermione calm down from her frantic rush around considerably. Draco smiled softly as he let her go, chuckling slightly as a small pout formed on her face.

"I thought you might want to go get dressed." Hermione looked at him questionably before looking down at her wardrobe, her lips formed a small "O," her cheeks had a sudden pink tint to them that hinted at her embarrassment.

"I'll be right back." Hermione said meekly as she ran up to her dorm room, Draco laughed as he turned around and made his way up to his own dorm, picking up the blanket he had used last night on the way.

As he reached his room he heard someone inside, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand. He dropped the blanket and turned the handle slowly making sure that his wand was out in front of him he threw the door open all the way pointing his wand at his intruder before lowering it slightly.

"Hello Draco." Lucius said coldly as he placed Draco's items back in the order which he had found them.

"Father." Draco said with no feeling, as he was taught when he was a young boy. "Out of curiosity how did you get in here?"

"Through the fire place naturally, with power, I had it linked to the floo network for today, of course. I came to check up on you, and it's a good thing I did."

"And why is that?" Draco asked feigning curiosity.

"You and that mudblood snuggled up on the couch. I'm not pleased Draco." Lucius said with a cold harshness in his voice.

"She wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for that Weasley brat. You know your little informant. He hexed me last night for breaking up a fight that he was in. I was not happy with it, but it was necessary for my health, I kept acting up during the night, needing her help unfortunately, so many times that it was just easier for the both of us if she stayed downstairs." Draco said nonchalantly as if it was nothing, his mind hoping that Lucius bought the ploy.

"Very well. See that it never happens again. I would want to have to harm her pretty face."

"I wouldn't be appreciative that, I would have to train a new Head Girl after all. That would be an enormous pain in my side." Draco said coldly.

"Well see to it that it doesn't happen again."

"Maybe you should keep your informants from hexing me then."

"Yes well that's what you get for employing Gryffindors. Now to business, I believe it's about time that you propose to Miss Parkinson. Make sure you do it by the end of the week, I wish to see a ring on her hand soon." Lucius said, examining his cane while he did. He peered at Draco as he nodded in a very business like manner.

"Is that all? I have to get dressed for my classes. I am late, and I believe that I have missed my first class by now." Draco said, stepping over to his closet, pulling out a new change of robes and changing into them.

"Yes, I believe it is. Draco." Lucius bowed out of the room and made his way down to the common room, where Draco heard him acknowledge Hermione. He quickly ran to the door and as silently as possible rushed down the stairs to ensure that Lucius didn't harm a hair on her head, his wand gripped firmly in his hand. When he reached the bottom, he saw Hermione standing perfectly still, staring at the fireplace with cold hatred in her eyes. He stepped out of the darkened alcove as the green flames died away.

"Hermione?" Draco approached Hermione slowly, keeping a steady even pace.

"What the hell was he doing here?" Hermione pointed to the fireplace, her arm shaking in fury.

"He came to check up on me, he's been known to do that from time to time. Hermione I'm so sorry. I didn't expect him to come; usually I get a letter to tell me when he's coming." Draco ran his hands up and down her arms trying to relieve the tension that had built up in her. Hermione took a few deep breaths and calmed herself back down.

"Alright, I just didn't expect to see him in our dorm." Hermione was still shaking and breathing heavily.

"Neither was I. I should have figured that he would do something like that nevertheless. It shouldn't have been a surprise." Draco turned away from Hermione and sat down, resting his head the back of the couch.

"What are you doing? We have classes to get to, remember! We're late! Grab your stuff so we can go!"

"But what about—"

"No buts! Go get your stuff now. Just because your father was here doesn't mean that it's going to affect my day. We've already missed potions and I don't want to miss Arithmancy. Now go." Hermione said firmly as she swung her book bag over her shoulder.

"All right. I'm going. Don't get your knickers in a twist." Draco stood up from the couch grumpily and marched over to the corner, swinging his book bag over his shoulder as well.

"Can we go now?" Hermione sighed as she grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him towards the portrait hole.

"Wait a second actually." Draco pulled back slightly, making Hermione's tugging futile as he stood perfectly still.

"What?" Hermione huffed as she continued tugging on his arm, trying to get him to budge. Draco smiled as he quickly reached out with his blessed seeker reflexes and wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her close to him, bending down to kiss her on the lips for a brief moment before pulling back and smiling.

"Alright we can go now; I wouldn't be able to do that all day otherwise." Draco used his famous classic smile as she hit his chest playfully.

"You're so peculiar." Hermione smiled.

"Aren't we going to be late?" Draco asked his eyes still focused completely on Hermione.

"Oh Merlin! We need to leave!" Hermione grabbed his wrist and pushed to portrait open, dragging Draco behind her.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Draco and Hermione felt as if their classes dragged on for an eternity, having to endure the constant separation from each other, between separate classes and the constant battle between the two feuding houses they couldn't get a moment together without raising some eyebrows from their fellow classmates. Their entire day was full of silent longing glances and wishful thoughts of being near each other. Draco's mind, however, was not only clouded by thoughts of his new fiancée but also by the next bump in the road that his father had set before him.

It truly was ironic how the very morning after Draco proposed to Hermione that his father would come to him and tell him to do the same to Parkinson. This was truly getting out of hand, everything continued to get so screwed up in the most disastrous of ways, and it all seemed to be because of his own doing. If he had never been so careless with his feelings neither he nor Hermione would be in any danger, neither of them would be risking their lives with every breath they took. Their lives would have taken the course that it was supposed to, with him shadowed in the darkness and her standing in the brilliant light.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall snapped.

"What?" Draco said in one of his many arrogant tones.

"I would appreciate it if you would pay attention in my class, Mr. Malfoy. Would you like a detention to help better remind you to do so?" Professor McGonagall asked hotly.

"No Professor."

"Very well. Now can anyone tell me the basic theory of a Protean Charm?" Professor McGonagall's eyes lingered on Draco for a moment, and Draco thought he saw a small flicker of concern in her eyes. Draco slouched back in his chair, trying to drown out Professor McGonagall's voice and focus back on his own problems. That continued to echo throughout his head.

His own devastating words then continued to bounce around his mind driving him insane, nay mad, as he sat there in that classroom. Images flashed across his mind.

_He and Hermione running for their lives._

_The two of them hiding in a shack in the middle of nowhere._

_His father and the rest of the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord finding them, bursting open the door of the shack as the two of them stood in a corner trapped. _

_They being ripped apart from each other, trying desperately to grasp one another again. _

_He being tortured by his father as he listened to Hermione ear splitting screams and then a defining silence. _

Draco snapped back out of his terrifying daydream as the bell sounded in the classroom, he mindlessly grabbed up his bag and walked without feeling out into the corridor. A dark hole in his stomach growing bigger and bigger as his mind was set about doing what he would have punched him across the face for thinking if he was acting sane in any matter.

It had to end.

Before it killed them.

XoXoXo

Draco paced back and forth in front of the fireplace once again. His hands placed behind his back and his head hung low, only to move back up to check the time every minute or so.

He stopped pacing and turned around to face the portrait hole once he heard it open, taking even breaths trying to maintain every once of composure he had in him.

"Oh Merlin, I'm sorry I'm back so late! But Professor Alvernon wanted to speak to me about my last paper for her and she was wondering if she could keep it as an example! Isn't that just…" Hermione trailed off as she saw the way that Draco was looking at her, her mind tried to pin point the look in his eyes but couldn't figure out what it could possibly be.

"Draco, what's wrong?" Hermione asked him softly, she dropped her bag down onto the floor in the middle of the room, and walked over slowly to him. She watched his eyes drop down to the floor, making Hermione instantly even more concerned. "Draco, what is it?" Hermione rested her hand against his cheek rubbing her thumb gently against it, then grabbing his hand she pulled him down to sit next to her on the couch.

"Hermione, I don't know how to say it, but—" Draco trailed off, unable to find the right words to say.

"Draco, then just tell me." Hermione urged.

"I'm going to ask Dumbledore to find a new Head Boy." Draco said crestfallen.

"What?" Hermione looked at Draco dumbfounded.

"Hermione, I can't do this. It's a mistake, a enormous mistake."

"Draco, what are you saying?" Hermione's voice grew slightly louder and changed to a very serious tone.

"I'm saying that we can't be! It's impossible! Who were we trying to fool? I'm a Slytherin you're a Gryffindor. I'm a pureblood and you're a –" Draco stood up shouting, only stopping when he couldn't say the words.

"A what Draco? A damned MUDBLOOD? Are you really going to resort back to your prejudices after everything? Everything we have is so worthless that your going to throw it away because of a few prejudices that your stupid father and all his cronies fixed up for you? You're that old fashioned?" Hermione asked infuriated, standing up just as abruptly as Draco had.

"And if I am? If I do believe in my father's ways what then?" Draco yelled.

"Then you might as well go join up with his little band of murderous fiends and try to take over the world with bloody Voldemort!" Hermione screamed back at him throwing her hands up into the air with fury.

"Maybe I will!" Draco yelled back. "Maybe then I can be the one to kill you in that bloody final battle! I'll watch you scream as you die and –" Draco stopped talking as he realized what he had said, his eyes widened, and he looked mortified.

"And what!" Hermione spat at him, and Draco's eyes found the floor once again, unable to look Hermione in the eye any longer.

"And I wouldn't be able to live with myself, I would die first. I would kill anyone who would try to hurt you." Draco whispered, Hermione looked taken aback and her features softened, she grabbed his hand and cupped his cheek, pulling his face up so that he was looking her in the eye.

"This isn't about old fashioned prejudices is it?" Hermione asked softly.

"No."

"Then what is about?"

"I'm scared I'll loose you." Draco's eyes welled up with unshed tears, and Hermione instantly wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest.

"You won't loose me."

"You can't know that." Hermione looked up at him, and he reached up and brushed her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

"Yes, because I won't die until I'm old and gray and in your arms. I won't let myself." Hermione said in a very matter-of-fact tone.

"Hermione—" Draco started.

"What are you thinking Draco? That we will have to run away to the middle of no where and then your father will find us, bring the entire dark side and tear us apart?" Hermione asked him humorously, but he could still hear the seriousness in her voice.

"Yes."

"Draco—"

"I'm terrified something will happen to you and I'll never be able to hold you in my arms again, alright?" Draco looked at Hermione, curious as it looked like she was thinking very hard about something.

"I'll be right back." She said after a moment of silence, pulling herself out of Draco's arms and making her way back to the portrait hole.

"Where are you going?" Draco grabbled her hand pulling her back to face him.

"I'm going to go tell Harry that we're leaving now to go kill Voldemort so you won't be so worried about me and you can get the silly notion that your going to loose me to some very stupid, very prejudiced, right fowl, evil bastards. That's all." Hermione said simply.

"Hermione!" Draco cried.

"No, I'm going to do this. I'm going to leave with Harry as soon as possible, even if that means before school is over and take care of this bloody Voldemort so that you can get the silly notion that I'm going to die at the hands of the dark side."

"No." Draco said firmly.

"No?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"No."

"You're going to stop me?" She said, disbelief echoed in her voice.

"For now. I'll let you go with Harry and defeat the Dark Lord. But not now."

"Will you get the silly notion out of your head that I'm going to die because of your father?"

"If it means you not leaving now, then yes."

"And will you stay here as Head Boy and not go find someone new?"

"Yes."

"And will I get my ring?" Hermione said hopefully

"Yes. But about that…" Draco trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

"More bad news?" Hermione sighed.

"Yeah, you might want to sit down." Hermione looked at Draco worried, but she moved past him, holding his hand the entire time, and sat down on the couch, pulling Draco so that he was sitting down next to her.

"Well give it to me then."

"Well I've been betrothed to Pansy since birth and my father wants me to ask her officially to marry her this week." Draco said slowly.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Hermione yelled.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

"I wish I was." Draco said solemnly.

"But why?" Hermione asked exasperated.

"Well you can start by blaming our parents." Draco huffed and he fell back onto the couch, closing his eyes as he rested his head on the back of the couch.

"Was this part of the reason for earlier?" Hermione asked softly, as her eyes moved downward to watch her hands play with the hem of her skirt. Draco's eyes popped open and he moved his head forward and looked at Hermione in shock.

"What?" he asked hoarsely.

"Nothing, never mind, it's not important anyways." Hermione continued to look away from him as she watched the flames in the fireplace dance before her.

"No, Hermione tell me." Draco sat up and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, Hermione turned her head slightly and looked at his comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Is this betrothal, thing, why you wanted to—"

"What? No, Hermione, that would never be the reason. You have to know-"

"But that' just it Draco! I don't know! Not really. Now I'm more confused than ever!"

"I know and it's my fault. If I didn't get so damn worried this wouldn't have problem, would it?"

"I don't know Draco, we would have still had to deal with this."

"I know, but I just want you to know that this entire ordeal with Pansy had nothing to with earlier. I want you. I will always want you. I would never end something like this, over something like that. I would rater die first." Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and held it firmly in his, and he looked deeply into her eyes.

"I know, but it's just with everything—"

"I know."

"Do you really thing that this could be a mistake?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think that the world isn't ready for us?"

"What if they're not? Would we really let something like that affect us?"

"It just might Draco, are we really ready and prepared enough to take on a whole bunch of stupid coming our way? Stupid that would be ready to do anything to keep us apart?"

"I'd brave it all for you."

"How very Gryffindor like of you."

"Well there are selfish reasons behind that bravery, making it all very Slytherin like." Draco said defensively, a small crooked smile crossed his lips nonetheless. Hermione's smiled weekly and then looked away from him once more and focused intensely on the patterns of the rug that lay just underneath her feet.

"You're still worried that I'll end this, aren't you?" Draco asked solemnly, watching her wit as much focus as she was looking at the rug.

"Can you blame me?" Hermione sighed.

"I guess I can't. I really wish you wouldn't though." Draco huffed.

"Just like I wish that you wouldn't worry about me." Hermione paused and turned back and looked at Draco, with concern evident on her face. "Draco I have to worry about this."

"And I can't worry about you? About your safety?"

"It's not so much that you can't Draco, it's just that you take your worries to the extremes. I don't want you to do anything rash or careless because you're worrying about me. It makes me worry about what you're thinking, what you're planning, what you're doing. And all the time. I can't handle that kind of constant worry! I can't!" Hermione gestured wildly as if her point more clear. Draco sat silent for a moment thinking of how he could possible respond. There were no words that came to his mind that could possible be appropriate to say.

"Hermione… I… I don't… you shouldn't… don't…" Draco stumbled hopelessly through word after word searching for what he could possible say.

"You don't want me to worry, right?" Hermione couldn't help but to smile as Draco stumbled ever so ungracefully through word after word.

"Yeah." Draco sighed, smiling slightly at Hermione as if to thank her.

"Do you think that we'll be able to make it through this year?" Hermione asked him softly.

"I know we will, I don't have a doubt in my mind. There is nothing in the world that could keep me away from you, not even my own idiotic self."

"I just, you know, worry." Hermione laughed lightly, making Draco laugh along with her. Draco slowly stopped laughing and gazed at Hermione ever so intently. "What?"

"Your laugh, I love your laugh. You should laugh more often." Draco said simply, which made Hermione blush. Draco grinned and wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist and pulled her back so she was leaning against him. Hermione curled up against Draco and closed her eyes, completely comfortable.

"Do you think we'll ever have a calm week?" Hermione asked.

"I don't think so. The next thing we know, Dumbledore will want us to plan some big event, that wouldn't surprise me." Draco chuckled.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised either." Hermione smiled.

Hermione was in pure bliss, she loved little moments like this. Draco was stroking her hair and looking at her with loving eyes. They were in their common room escaping all the demands of the outside world.

Hermione stared up at him and he met her gaze and smiled that soft crooked smile that he had reserved only for her. Her heart skipped a beat, feeling silly she looked down and blushed.

Draco tilted his head up to face him with his pale finger. "If you don't mind, I rather you not hide your beautiful face away from me." He whispered.

Her heart skipped a few more beats and she scoffed at him. "Beautiful? Me?" she looked away and twisted a button on the couch.

He gently cupped her face in his hands and looked her straight in the eye. She was lost in his soft grey eyes. He was making her breathless, without even trying too.

"Hermione Jane Granger, you are the most beautiful, magnificent angel I have ever seen and I am truly blessed that I'm lucky enough to be here, at your side, soon to be getting married to you. Never doubt the effect you have on me." He said passionately.

She smiled softly and leaned forward to kiss him. Their lips moved in perfect synch. It was a soft sweet kiss, not as passionate as she would've like but still cherished.

Their need to breathe was getting stronger and Draco leaned back. Both slightly panting, Hermione snuggled back up into his warm chest.

"Hermione, I love you so much." He said into my hair.

She smiled against his chest. "Not as much as I love you."

His silver eyes gazed back at her brown ones, "I highly doubt that." And he kissed her again.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Draco woke up early the next morning, on the couch again, his arms wrapped snuggly around Hermione, who was still sleeping peacefully. He smiled softly and brushed her hair out of her face. It was Friday morning, he really wanted to do nothing more than to ditch his classes today and get over to Hogsmade and get Hermione her ring, he wanted it to be the most perfect thing for her. He was still upset that she didn't want anything really flashy and ostentatious.

Draco glanced up at the clock and was shocked at how early it really was. Five o'clock was a god-forsaken hour to him. Nevertheless, he gently moved Hermione off of him and laid her down on the other end of the couch and covered her with a blanket he summoned from her room. Draco looked down at her sleeping figure and chuckled slightly as she pulled at the blanket.

Looking down at himself, he saw the state that sleeping on the couch had put his clothes into. Sighing, he made his way up to his bedroom, intent on getting ready before Hermione woke up.

Draco had one foot on the stairs when he heard Hermione mumble his name in her sleep. He paused and turned around immediately and watched her smile and roll over and mumble his name once more. Draco chuckled softly and a smile dawned across his face as continued to make his way up to his room.

Draco opened his door softly, not wanting it to creak, and saw his father's owl sitting patiently on his desk, waiting for him with a letter in his beak. Draco cringed slightly, and made his way over to the owl taking the letter as it dropped the letter into his hands. Draco dug up a treat from his desk and tossed it to the owl before it flew off.

Sighing, Draco opened the letter.

Draco,

I want an update, immediately as I have yet to hear anything yet about an engagement yet. I hope to hear that everything has gone to plan, already.

Also, your mother wishes you to visit home soon, so it has been arranged that you will come for the weekend the week after next.

Lucius

Furious, Draco quickly crumpled the letter in his hand and knocked everything off of his desk, sending it crashing to the ground. Bloody old fashioned traditions! He would do absolutely anything for them to be so much different! He hadn't even had time to get a ring. He figured that this could be his excuse for now. Sighing, he reached for a quill and a piece of parchment and wrote a reply.

Father,

I realize that it is Friday now, and that you wanted this done by today. Nevertheless, I refuse to ask for Miss Parkinson's hand without a ring, which I will be unable to get until tomorrow. This is the reason for my delay and I will inform you when I have in fact asked for her hand.

Draco

Draco quickly folded up the letter, sealed it with his family's crest, and placed it in his bag. Sighing he placed his head in his hands, and soon felt two warm hands gently massaging his shoulders.

"Draco I'm so sorry." Hermione said softly.

"Hermione why are you sorry?"

"If I wasn't here, if I didn't exist, if I wasn't a stupid mudblood, then--"

"Don't say that, don't call yourself a mudblood."

"But it's true, I'm a mudblood. I'm proud of it too."

"No. You are a witch, something that it took me six long years to realize. There is no difference between you and me."

"Well there are a couple important differences."

"Like what?"

"Firstly, I am obviously smarter than you." Hermione smiled softly and Draco shook his head.

"That's what you think." Draco laughed.

"And secondly, I am a girl."

"That is one big difference. I think I like that one the most." Draco turned around and pulled Hermione into his lap and kissed her softly.

"I figured you did." Hermione laughed.

"Hermione," Draco's voice turned serious, "you must know I wouldn't change anything. I would never wish you didn't exist. I don't want you to feel sorry you do. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You've made me see the error of my ways, and see the good person I can be. I am irrevocably in love with you. If I had to wish anything I would wish that I was born in a family that didn't care about blood, so I could be with you, without any criticisms. I— Hermione why are you crying?" Draco asked, his voice full with concern as he wiped away one of the tears that was falling down her cheek.

"Because you say the sweetest things." Hermione whispered lovingly.

"It's only because they're true." Draco said simply.

"It's funny, after all these years, it's become I who doesn't deserve you."

"You think so little of yourself Hermione, and too much of me."

"You're biased." Hermione accused.

"Maybe a little." Draco smiled. "Hermione, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"We're." Hermione corrected

"What?" Draco asked confusedly.

"You mean what we're going to do."

"You can't expect me to drag you through this whole mess?" Draco looked at Hermione in shock.

"No, I expect you to let me help you and support you in anyway I can." Hermione echoed in a mater-of-fact like tone.

"Hermione—"

"Don't 'Hermione' me. I knew what I was getting myself into from the very beginning. I even knew that just we being friends would be sketchy."

"I can't let you do this to yourself." He said sternly.

"You can and you will." Hermione gave him a piercing look.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because I can not give you anything for a very long time." Hermione smirked and a flash of pure evil could be seen in her eyes.

"You wouldn't." Draco looked at her dumbfounded

"Oh but I would. I've gone eighteen years without it, I'm sure I can go eighteen more." Hermione said devilishly and she moved to straddle his lap.

"You would do that to me. Eighteen years might kill me!"

"I'm sure you won't die. It's a proven fact that you won't. Of course I'll be making you lust after me for those eighteen long years."

"You would threaten me with the one thing that I fear more than my father wouldn't you?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Of course. Perfect way to get what I want."

"You want to be dragged through the mud?" Hermione could hear the skepticism in her voice.

"As long as this mud involves you." She replied.

"You're insane." Draco shook his head and rubbed his temples.

"So I've been told."

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this." Draco groaned

"Well you don't have too. You could just—"

"No, you're doing this with me. I got your point." Draco said quickly, trying to erase that horrible idea from her mind.

"Good." Hermione smiled and kissed the top of his head. "We should get ready."

"We could stay here, like this." Draco pecked her lips and smiled against them.

"We could if you didn't take an hour to get ready."

"We could ditch class."

"Like I'd ever agree to that." Hermione laughed and pulled herself away from him as Draco tried to attach his lips to her neck.

"Hermione." Draco whimpered at her sudden absence.

"Not today." Hermione smiled as she walked across the room to his dresser.

"Tomorrow?" Draco asked hopefully, standing up in the process.

"I'll have to think about it." She said innocently as she opened one of the many boxes on his dresser.

"Are you always going to pretend to be this innocent?" Draco made his way over to her side and wrapped his arms around her and watched her explore through his trinkets. He watched as her hands rested on some of the more intricate pieces, feeling them as if she was trying to memorize each of them. She seemed fascinated by one of the necklaces as her hands kept returning to it. Draco picked it up from under her touch and held it up gently.

"I think this has to be my favorite one." He whispered in her ear.

"Because it's a dragon?" Hermione asked softly.

"Partially, but because I think it would look beautiful on you."

Hermione blushed. "You really think so?"

"Here." Draco quickly fastened the necklace around her neck, his hands softly caressing her neck as he did.

"How does it look?" Hermione turned around, a blush still heavily evident on her cheeks.

"Amazing." Draco tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Will you wear it for me?"

Hermione nodded, her eyes locked with his. Draco pulled her closer, and her breath caught.

"We—we have class to go too, too get ready for. "

"Do you really want to go?" Draco asked quietly.

"We should." Hermione tried to stay firm.

"That wasn't my question."

"No."

"No what?"

"No," She said breathlessly, "I don't want to go."

Draco smirked, and brought her lips to his, and held her as close to him as he could. Hermione wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and held onto him for support, for she was sure her knees would give out.

"Draco." Hermione mumbled against his lips. "We can't."

"Hermione." Draco groaned.

"Tomorrow, I promise you." Hermione pulled back slowly, not truly willing to leave his tight embrace. Draco slowly moved his hands from around her waist, but took her hand and kissed it softly.

"Hurry back to me." He whispered to her.

"Always."


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Classes that day were difficult for both Hermione and Draco. The pretending that didn't like the other when they ran into each other in the halls was difficult. Draco could barely remember an insult to throw at her, and Hermione was the same.

Hermione continued to reach up to her neck throughout the day and play with the necklace that rested there, caressing it fondly, a smile crossing her lips every time she thought of him. She sat in potions twiddling her quill around in her fingers, staring off into space, daydreaming. Harry looked at her worried, Hermione not paying attention in class, especially potions, was usually an indicator that something was up, but the smile on her face had him confused. Getting frustrated with his lack of knowledge of the inner workings of her mind, he nudged her gently in the side. Hermione blinked a few times and looked at him slowly, a confused look plastered across her face. He nodded towards Snape and her eyes widened dramatically in her sudden realization that she hadn't been paying attention. Harry was befuddled, but then he looked over to Ron's empty seat and shrugged it off. Hermione looked so happy, unlike how she had been for a very long time. He wasn't going to be the reason of any more misery in her life.

XoXoXo

Draco stood solemnly in the Owlery, the letter he had written to his father in his hand. He whistled for his owl and watched as it came soaring down to perch on his arm. He gently petted the bird and gave it the letter.

"Now just leave it on his desk. Don't wait for him to read it or reply. I'll give you extra treats when you get back alright?" Draco instructed and his owl hooted before it took off into the air. He watched as it soared off into the distance and shoved his hands in his robe pockets before making his way back out of the Owlery. In another week, he'd leave for his parents and he'd have to do something, he'd have to tell them something about his plans. A shudder coursed through him.

Draco sighed and looked at his current state. He was alone, he had already ditched his first class, and he was a perfect walking distance to the front gate. Maybe he wouldn't go to class today.

XoXoXo

Hermione and Draco gazed at each other that night during dinner, watching every movement that the other made. it was almost hypnotizing to watch to those who knew what was going on. It was a jaw dropping surprise to Blaise and Pansy and then Harry and Ginny when Draco cocked his head towards the door and Hermione immediately nodded in return.

"Are you insane?" Harry whispered to Hermione.

"What?" Hermione asked as her eyes followed Draco out of the Great Hall.

"Are you really serious about this? I mean, he might be better now, but he's still Malfoy."

"You'll see soon." Hermione smiled softly and Ginny gasped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry was obviously perplexed but Ginny just smiled knowingly.

"You'll see." Hermione repeated and smiled as she took another bite of her dinner before standing up and bidding each of them good night and giving a public excuse for her early exit. Harry looked at Ginny who was smiling widely.

"You know something don't you?" Harry accused her.

"But of course! I mean it was obvious!—Well maybe not to you." Ginny laughed as she watched Hermione leave.

"You're not going to tell me are you?" Harry sighed.

"Of course not. It's not my job to tell you." Ginny kissed his cheek before taking another bite of her mashed potatoes.

"Girls." Harry mumbled under his breath.

"But you love us."

"I sure do." Harry laughed, earning a playful punch from Ginny.

XoXoXo

Hermione reached the Head's portrait and whispered the password to it, letting it swing open before her so she could climb in quickly. She nearly gasped as she walked in. The room was filled with lit candles, the fireplace lit and rose petals scattered in a path to the beloved couch. Hermione quickly took off her robe and hung it on the hook on the wall and followed the path, sitting in front of the fireplace, looking around anxiously. She looked down and saw a note in front of her on the table, addressed to her. Smiling she picked it up and read it.

_Hermione,_

My love. My life.  
I know I would be lost without you.  
You've me brought out of the dark fiery pits of hell,  
And into the bright heavenly light.  
You've made me the man I am today.  
You are my world, my day, my night.  
I would do anything for you to be happy.  
I'll love you for all eternity,  
And so I have only one question to ask you.

"Will you marry me?" Hermione spun around so that she was looking at Draco, on one knee and holding the most beautiful, most perfect ring that she could imagine. She gasped in awe, but her face quickly became puzzled.

"How did you?" she asked him, and a sheepish grin crossed his face. " You ditched didn't you?" She accused him, a small frown set on her face.

"Are you mad at me, for not being able to contain myself? For wanting to put my ring on your finger. For wanting to give you something that would express just how much I care and love you?" he asked, his smile still evident. Hermione glared him for a moment, but a she continued to look at his happy, eager face her stern expression softened.

"No, I guess I'm not mad at you." Hermione smiled brilliantly.

"So, Miss Granger, will you become my Mrs. Malfoy?" Draco asked again, a very expectant tone in his voice.

"Yes." She said simply, a silly lopsided grin spread across her face as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

Draco's hand gently curled to the shape of Hermione's face, and slowly leaned his face to meet hers. He kissed her, soft as a whisper at first, but both their eagerness was quickly evident as her hands tangled themselves into his hair, trying to desperately pull his mouth impossibly closer to her own. Draco pulled her flush against his own body, close enough to cause her to arch backwards. The clung to each other as if they were the only reason that they were still tied to the ground, trying to make ever precious second just that much better.

Much too soon, they pulled back, gasping in fresh cool air to soothe their burning lungs. Hermione desperately clung onto Draco; unsure of her own abilities of making her legs stay firm so she wouldn't slump to the ground. Draco took a chance and grazed his lips against her neck, placing light kisses there, biting and sucking every so often as if he was staking a claim on her. Hermione's breathing picked up quickly once again. Delicious moans filled Draco's ears, and he smirked against neck, quite pleased with himself and his ability to receive such a strong response out of Hermione. It did help, however, that she was madly in love with him and wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

_Knock. Knock._

Draco and Hermione froze, still completely entwined with one another. Draco was the first to recover. He took half a step back, his arms still entwined around Hermione's waist and he managed to call out to the portrait in his trademark arrogant voice.

"Who is it?"

"Your father." Came a harsh voice from the other side of the portrait. Hermione and Draco shared a quick glance before parting immediately, straitening themselves to hide all evidence of what just happened between the two of them. Hermione slid off the ring she had just acquired on her finger and handed it back to Draco, he gave a quick nod and shoved the ring into his pocket.

'We're going to pretend I'm helping you get read to ask Pansy to marry you. Understood?" Hermione whispered as she began to busy herself by arranging flowers and straightening up other decorations. She looked briefly over her shoulder and found Draco frozen in place. She gave him a quick smile and an encouraging nod. He shook himself and snapped out of his trance, squared his shoulders and masked his face with haughty arrogance. Draco took a deep breath and strolled over to the portrait door elegantly.

"Yes?" He asked, annoyance evident in his tone. Hermione smiled to herself for a moment, resisting the urge to giggle at Draco by focusing intently on the bouquet of roses before her.

"I wanted to know the meaning of this." Lucius stepped through the portrait hole, waving a sheet of parchment in Draco's face.

"What do you mean father?" Draco asked, feigning innocence.

"What is this about you delaying the proposal? This is of the utmost importance Draco. This involves matters of higher importance than you are aware of." Draco coughed suddenly, interrupting Lucius's tirade, and cocked his head to the side in Hermione's direction. "Ah, Miss Granger. May I ask what your presence here is for?" Lucius inquired, while eyeing his son suspiciously.

"Besides the fact that this is also my dormitory as well?" Hermione offered.

"Yes." Lucius answered, his nose turned up slightly.

"I'm afraid Malfoy, your son, has hardly a romantic bone in his body. Not that I can blame him, the apple must not fall far from the tree you know. Anyways, your son here wanted to propose to Miss Parkinson without a speech and without any set up of some sort. Every girl deserves a romantic proposal, no matter her background. Don't you think so Mr. Malfoy?"

"I believe I would Miss Granger." Lucius said in a very clipped tone. "So this engagement will take place tonight?" Lucius asked as he turned back to Draco.

"Yes." Draco replied.

"Very well. I will announce this in the morning." Lucius gathered his cloak around him and prepared to make his leave.

"Um, excuse Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione called, Draco looked at her, obviously surprised and Lucius turned back around a peculiar look on his face.

"Yes Miss Granger?"

"I'm not entirely sure if it's the same in the wizarding world as in the muggle world, but should the wife-to-be's family announce the engagement? I believe that's what is considered proper. But then again I may be wrong, sir." Hermione smiled softly, expectant of somehow being proven wrong, for Lucius to tell her that she did not know how the wizarding world operated.

"Yes, I would believe you are correct Miss Granger. Your know-it-all mind has proven me wrong it seems. I should thank you for stopping me from committing a social faux pas." Lucius tilted his head slightly.

"No, I was only curious Mr. Malfoy. I'm sure that Mrs. Malfoy would have stopped you before you did." Hermione nodded her head, as if to bow and returned to her flowers. Lucius looked curiously at Hermione before turning back to Draco.

"I'll be waiting Draco. I'll be expecting you in a week to discuss further matters." Lucius opened the portrait and stepped down, out of the common room.

"Yes father." Draco nodded curtly and let the portrait swing shut, shutting out his father from the sights and sounds of the common room. Draco ran a hand through his hair and turned back to Hermione who still had her back to him.

"It's not real is it?" Hermione sighed.

"What's not real? Draco asked cautiously.

"Us. It's a nice little fantasy, sure. But you'll end up with her in the end. No matter how much we don't want it to be that way. It's unavoidable." Hermione sighed again, and a tear fell down her cheek and landed on one of the rose petals.

"Hermione, do you know what this means?" Draco pulled out her ring from his pocket and slid it back onto her finger once more. "This is my promise to you. That you are my all, my everything. I would die before I ever loved another. I am yours, forever. Nothing will change that." Draco brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it gently. "It's my heart and my soul." He whispered in her ear. "They belong to you now. They always will and I'll never want them back."


	48. Chapter 48

_July 31, 2009 – Happy 29th Birthday Harry!_

_I know I haven't updated in almost a year, and I'm unbelievably sorry for that. I lost my muse last August and the fact that I was able to crank something out in October astounds me. Nevertheless, I was able to break my writer's block that I've had for quite sometime and write another chapter! Thank heavens._

_So for Harry Potter's Birthday… I'm updating! Which is happiness._

_Note: it is very likely that there are mistakes in here, seeing as I'm out of practice when it comes to writing. If you see any send me a PM or tell me in your Review and I'll go in and fix that and update. THANKS!!! (plus the person I sent this too decided to go camping this weekend… and I sent this to her on like Tuesday of this week. Best Friends, I tell ya…)_

_Anyways, I'm unbelievably sorry for the delay, but here is the next chapter in What Hurts the Most._

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable. The plot is mine though. :)_

* * *

…………………

Chapter 48

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* * *

As the week progressed however, both Draco and Hermione began to fret over Draco's visit back home for the weekend. They both knew that this was going to have to happen sooner rather than later, no matter how much the wanted and wished it to be later. They both felt suddenly, blindingly, aware that nothing comfortable could ever come of this, at least not publicly and they knew that living lies would only make themselves more miserable. It seemed as if fate was working against them. The sense of having an expiration date loomed over their heads as Draco's visit back home came closer.

Draco and Hermione walked around the school as if they had no awareness of the world around them for the next few days. Harry had noticed that Hermione had hardly raised her hand when a question was asked in class. While Blaise noted that Draco hadn't made a rude or crude comment, but instead had remained silent unless he was asked a question directly.

"Hey mate." Blaise nudged Draco in the side one morning at breakfast after suffering with his sulkish attitude for three days. "You alright? You haven't been yourself lately." Draco looked up from his breakfast and looked across the Great Hall at Hermione, before glancing back down to his eggs that he only moved around his plate with his fork.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Draco grumbled.

"Did the two of you have a fight and break it off or something?" Blaise whispered, making sure that no one else at their table could overhear.

"Look, just leave me alone Blaise alright!" Draco slammed down his fork on the table and slung his book bag over his shoulder and stormed out of the Great Hall. Blaise sighed and ignored the looks that were directed in his direction and glanced briefly at the girl in question. But all he saw was a sad look on her face as she watched Draco leave the Great Hall and her best friend that sat next to her look at her was the same concern that Blaise felt for his best mate. He just wasn't one to wear his heart on his sleeve like those Gryffindors. Nevertheless, it was clearly evident that something was up.

* * *

"Hermione do you know what's up with that?" Harry asked her, figuring that an indirect approach would be the best way to figure out what was wrong with his best friend.

"Yeah, I have an idea." Hermione sighed.

"Is everything alright, between the two of you?" Harry asked with concern.

"No Harry, it isn't. I ought to go make sure he's all right. See you later." Hermione stood up and headed towards the great Hall doors, leaving behind a slightly confused Harry.

"Do you have any idea what might be up Gin?" Harry asked turning to his girlfriend who was watching Hermione leave.

"You know, for once I have no idea."

* * *

Hermione looked left and right, trying to see if she could spot Draco, but frowned when she saw that he was nowhere in sight. Sighing, she decided on making her way back towards the Head's Dormitory before class to see if she could catch him there.

She reached the end of the corridor and hung a left when she saw a closet door close. Knowing that she still had to keep up her own head duties, she headed over and pulled out her want, not wanting to be caught off guard by any surprise hexes. She opened the door with a flick of her wand and was surprised by what she saw.

There sat Pansy Parkinson herself, crying on up turned bucket, who was now wiping her face on her sleeve.

"What do you want?" Pansy snapped at Hermione.

"I saw the door close, I had to make sure it wasn't some snogging couple. Head Girl duties and all. You alright Pansy?" Hermione asked concerned.

"What do you care?" Pansy looked at her questionably, her tear streaks clearly evident on her face. Hermione quickly looked up and down the hallway.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Hermione asked quickly.

"No, I guess not." Hermione shut the door tightly behind her and lit her wand as she settled herself on the floor.

"So you do remember that your betrothed happens to be the man that I am currently in love with, right?" Hermione stated as if it was the most natural thing in the world to be talking about.

"Yeah, but that still doesn't explain why you would care Granger."

"No, I guess it doesn't, does it?" Hermione paused thinking over her words. "Well I guess I care because I know that you're just as miserable as I am right now."

"Okay. But I still don't understand, I still feel like you should hate me for being betrothed to Draco. I mean if I we're in your place I would hate me." Pansy confessed.

"I guess maybe that's the Slytherin in you and the Gryffindor in me. But if it helps I did make a vow to myself when I was younger to not hate anybody. No one deserves to be hated." Hermione told her.

"Not even you-know-who?" Pansy asked in disbelief.

"Not even Voldemort. Love and forgive your enemies, there is nothing that will bother them more than that." Hermione smiled briefly, remembering the line from something she read a long time ago.

"You really are smart, you know."

"So I've been told." Hermione smiled for a moment before the look of hopelessness settled back onto her face. "Look I know that this sucks, and that none of us want what your parents have planned out for you and Draco. I mean right know this doesn't even hold much weight except to say that Draco loves me too." Hermione pulled out the necklace from under her blouse that now carried her engagement ring as well as the dragon pendent. She watched, as Pansy's eyes grew wider as she realized what the ring actually was.

"He asked you to marry him?" She asked with slight awe in her voice. "Even though he's supposed to marry me, he proposed to you anyways?"

"Yeah, but at this point, I'm fairly certain that it doesn't actually mean that it could happen." Hermione whispered.

"Can I see it?" Pansy asked softly, taking Hermione slightly aback before she quickly regained her composure and took the chain off from around her neck, and held it out to Pansy. "It isn't very extravagant, is it?" Pansy murmured.

"No, but I never did like things that were flashy, so it's quite perfect for me." Hermione responded.

"It is a beautiful ring though, and the diamonds are flawless." Pansy admired, making Hermione blush. "Of course it is Draco, it would still have to be prefect no matter how simple." Pansy handed back the necklace to Hermione, who placed it back around her neck and tucked it back under her shirt. "You're very lucky Hermione. I just hope that it will be enough."

"Me too." Hermione muttered. "I feel bad that I'm putting Draco through this, but I'm scared what would happen to him if I didn't."

"You should. His father is trying to set him up on a path to be a Death Eater. If you never came along he would never dream of standing up to his father and deciding his own future. You've become what he fights for, and his reason for not just giving into his father's pressure. You're the best thing that has ever happened to him. If it weren't for you, I could possibly be the fiancé of a future Death Eater. Yet here we are, and you're the one with the ring and he wants nothing to do with the Dark Lord. You have no idea how grateful we are of you, at least Draco and Blaise and I. If Draco can stand up to his parents then maybe the rest of us will be able to as well. Hermione you might have crippled the Dark Lord immensely just by falling in love with Draco." Pansy speculated, causing Hermione to blush and shake her head furiously.

"Pansy, I can't have done that. Lucius, he could kill Draco for going against him. I might be the very reason why he dies." Hermione retorted while trying to blink back the tears that began to form in her eyes.

"Hermione, no pureblood will ever kill their only child and leave all of their wealth and power to disappear when they die. Not even ones that hate each other. And frankly that Malfoys are too old to have more children. Besides just because your child betrayed you doesn't mean that you want them to die. Even Lucius loves his son. " Pansy countered.

"It doesn't make me any less fearful, I don't want him to have to turn his back on his family. I don't want to ask him to do something like that for me. Family is still family."

"I know this is selfish of me, but I'm glad that he is. It gives me just as much of an opportunity to be happy with Blaise, who, the lucky bastard, isn't betrothed to anyone. So I'm glad that he's putting his neck on the line for you and risking everything. " Pansy admitted. "So if you feel bad about him doing this for you then you can think that he's doing it for me and Blaise. That is if you could ever convince yourself that he's doing this because of me and Blaise and not for you."

Hermione just looked at her in awe. "You know you're brilliant."

"Yeah, just don't tell anyone alright. I've got a reputation to maintain." Pansy smirked.

"You know people are going to be looking for us. I figure that we're probably late for class too. Do you want to go?" Hermione asked as she stood up and dusted off her skirt before offering her hand to Pansy.

"Yeah, I guess we should. Thanks." Pansy said as she took Hermione's offered hand and stood up.

"Yeah, no problem. Hold on a second though." Hermione pulled out her wand and whispered "Homenum Revelio." Nothing happened and Hermione quickly opened the door, thankful to find no one there.

"What did that do?" Pansy asked.

"It shows if there is anyone nearby if it does nothing then there isn't. If the tip turns blue that means there is." Hermione explained as she stepped out into the corridor. "What class do you have now?"

"Charms. You?"

"Ancient Runes. Do you mind if I come with you, I could give you an excuse so you won't get points taken off or get a detention." Hermione offered.

"If you don't mind." Pansy gave a Hermione a fleeting smile.

"Not at all."

"Thanks." Hermione and Pansy walked headed up to the second floor and to the Charms classroom in silence until Hermione knocked on the door before opening it.

"Sorry Professor Flitwick I had a run-in with Peeves and got held up. Pansy came along and helped me, so I'm sorry that she's late."

"Not a problem my dear! Come in Miss Parkinson we're just going over the theory of the Protean Charm, I'm sure one of your class mates will let you copy their notes so far." Flitwick instructed. "Was there something else Miss Granger?" Flitwick looked at Hermione who happened to still be in the door staring at Draco.

"Um, actually Professor I was wondering if I could borrow Malfoy for a moment, Professor Dumbledore wanted to see us. "

"Alright then. Draco, homework tonight is the prompt at the end of Chapter Ten in you textbook. Come see me if you need the rest of the notes. "

"Yes Professor, thank you." Draco quickly grabbed his things and headed out the door. "So what does Professor Dumbledore want?" Draco asked as he adjusted the strap of his book bag on his shoulder.

"Dumbledore didn't say anything to me actually." Hermione confessed.

"What do you mean?" Draco growled stopping in the middle of the hallway, causing Hermione to stop and turn back to him. "Don't you have class too? Ancient Runes or something?"

"As a matter of fact I do. Now come on. You don't want to get caught standing in the middle of a hallway during a class period. People tend to think you're up to something." Hermione grabbed Draco's hand and began to pull him along with her.

"Do you mean to tell me that you pulled me out of class for no reason?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Well yeah, that was a very important lesson and I don't appreciate you dragging me out of classes as if I was like one of your baboons that you call friends."

"Firstly, I didn't pull you out of class for no reason. Secondly, stop making fun of my friends when I don't make fun of yours. Thirdly, if you're going to be such a pompous ass maybe I should have just left you there when I already have known how to do the Protean Charm since fifth year and could teach you myself. But if you want to learn it in class be my guest. Go back." Hermione dropped his hand and marched off down the hall and rounded the corner without so much as a glance back. Draco sighed and grumbled under his breath about Hermione being a difficult woman and ran after her, but when he rounded the corner he didn't see her bushy head anywhere. Despite his frustration he continued to walk down the hallway, figuring that if he didn't that there would be hell to pay for later with her.

He was just about to turn the next corner when he heard a sniffle coming from the other side of it. As quietly as he could he strolled up to the edge of the wall to try to figure out who it was. He peered around the corner and saw Hermione sitting on the floor with her head in her hands, and it was clear that she was the one making the quiet sniffling noises. Draco pulled back and banged the back of his head against the wall. It really was quite obvious that Dumbledore didn't actually want them and that Hermione wouldn't have asked him to come out of class if it wasn't important, it was Hermione after all.

Sighing he, as quietly as possible, made his way around the corner and sat down on the ground next to her, and gently pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I'm sorry." Draco whispered softly into her hair, while Hermione clutched his robes. "I'm sorry I'm such a pompous ass. " Draco took her face in his hand and gently rubbed away some of the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "Come on, let's go back to our dorm." Draco said as he stood up quickly offering his hand to her to help her up.

"But what about class?" Hermione sniffled, as she took Draco's hand as he pulled her up and wrapped his arm around her

"I think that we might just need a day off. I think that should be okay seeing as we are the top two students in the school. Besides you were the one that pulled _me_ out of class." Draco smiled as he kissed the top of her head, guiding her down the hallway towards the staircases. "Besides, ditching class may have been the smartest idea you've had all year. I do like the idea of more alone time with you." Hermione looked up at him, and despite her eyes being red and puffy from crying they suddenly twinkled with a mischievous glint in them.

"Follow me." Hermione quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him down the first open corridor that they came across.

"Hermione what are we doing?" Draco questioned, looking behind him making sure that they weren't being following but ghost or wizard. He remained surprised as Hermione told him to shut up and continued to pull him further away from a path that would have lead them back to the Head Dormitory.

Suddenly Hermione stopped, causing Draco to nearly topple over her. "What are we doing here? Class is going to be over soon and really being caught out and about is really not something that I look forward too." Draco whispered.

"I'm about to show you one of the advantages of being Harry Potter's best-friend." Hermione smiled and quickly walked over to a large mirror that they were standing next too. She quickly pulled it back and reveled an opening slightly smaller than the size of the mirror itself.

"When did you find out this was here?" Draco asked bewildered.

"Hold on. Follow me." Hermione quickly stepped into the hole and Draco looked to his left and right before following her in, closing the mirror behind him.

"Okay, now will you explain to me, what we are doing here?"

"Alright, fine. So I Harry found out about this place in third year, and naturally told me about it. He told me that this used to be a secret passage way that probably led to Hogsmeade but had caved in. Nevertheless, I decided to check it out. What I discovered was that as a passage way, it was pretty much completely useless but there were other practical uses. Like a hideout from Mrs. Norris or Peeves. But recently I thought it would be an excellent place to come and be alone for a while. None of the students know of it's existence except us and Harry, and everyone else treats it as an old abandoned passageway. No one ever comes here, except for me." Hermione explained in a stage-whisper, although Draco could still hear the smile in her voice.

"And you brought us here because?" Draco raised his eyebrow and looked at her confusedly, not entirely sure what she was up too as she smirked up at him.

"Because I wanted to do this." Hermione said simply as she quickly grasped the back of his neck and pulled his head down so she could attach her lips to his. Draco was startled for a moment at Hermione's forwardness, but soon smirked as he kissed her and grabbed her hips and pushed her up against the wall behind her. Their kiss seemed almost desperate with need as she parted her lips, their tongues touching tentatively at first before dancing together at a frenzied pace. Draco pulled slowly away; his bottom lip remained in between Hermione's teeth for a moment before she let it go. A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth as he trailed kisses down her neck and collarbone. Hermione deftly slid her fingers into his hair and held him closer to her neck, enjoying as he nibbled and sucked, making certain that he left a mark before pulling him back up to meet her lips.

"Best idea you've had. Ever." Draco murmured against her lips. Hermione smiled to herself, she wasn't the smartest student in the school for nothing.


	49. Chapter 49

**Okay people… I know I have been gone for quite some time… midterms and papers and dealing with the transition to college life... but I've also had to work on both chapter 49 and chapter 50 together… they are very intertwined details wise. :) Chapter 50 is off to the Wonderful Lizzie for beta-ing and this one just came back! **

**So thanks for sticking with me! :) maybe one day I'll get this story finished. Haha. **

**CHAPTER 49**

Most people did not understand why Draco and Hermione had stopped hurling insults at each other so suddenly. However, Draco and Hermione didn't hear the whispers that echoed whenever they would walk by each other and then share a smile. While it had been known that they were now on relatively good terms, it hadn't kept them from bickering whenever they saw each other in the corridors. It wasn't, however, Draco and Hermione simply no longer caring about their façade, it was just that they both had too much on their plates at the current moment. And to go around school acting like they still didn't like each other was just too much hard work for them to bother dealing with.

Draco and Hermione were preoccupied. It was Friday, meaning that the next morning, Draco would head to Hogsmeade and apparate back home. Neither Draco nor Hermione actually knew what would be waiting for Draco at home. Whether, if in fact, his mother really had just wanted him to come home for the weekend or if Lucius had something much more sinister planned was the question, and this lack of knowledge bothered both of them greatly.

"Do you have to go?" Hermione asked quietly, playing with her hem as she sat on Draco's bed, watching him throw some of his things into a small trunk through the corner of her eye.

"Hermione." Draco sighed and turned around to face her, noting that she was staring very fixedly at the floor. "It's not like I really have a choice. I don't want to go. I don't know what is going to happen this weekend."

"I know. I guess that's why I'm so scared. I don't want to loose you," Hermione said in a quiet voice.

"You're not going to loose me. I'm coming back here." Draco took her hands and looked into eyes as he knelt down on the ground in front of her.

"You don't know that for certain. You don't know what your father will do when he finds out. How can you tell me that you're coming back here with so much certainty?" she asked softly, still not meeting his eyes for fear that he would see just how scared she actually was.

"I just know that everything will be all right. We aren't star-crossed lovers here." Draco smiled slightly. Hermione looked at him and let out a strained laugh. "What?"

"Of course you would know Shakespeare." Hermione smiled briefly before settling back into her worried state.

"I'm not completely uncivilized." Draco chuckled as he rubbed her hand with his thumb. "Hermione, you're just going to have to have some faith that I'll come back. No matter what. Can you please do that?" Draco voice was pleading and Hermione let out a small sigh before furrowing her brow as if she was trying to tell herself that she was overreacting.

"Yes, I can." Her voice was full of determination as she looked Draco in the eyes, but he still saw her worry. He let it pass.

"Thank you." Draco gently pressed his lips to her hand and stood up, gently pressing them to her forehead.

"Do you want me to help?" Hermione offered as Draco headed back to his wardrobe. "I can pack better than you can."

"I can pack my things just fine. I can do basic household magic."

"I'm sure you can magic your stuff into a suitcase just as well as the next person," she said simply.

"But you can do it better," Draco guessed.

"I can. It's not always about the magic." Hermione flicked her wand and levitated everything that Draco had placed in his trunk onto his bed.

"Hey! What'd you do that for?"

"We're going to sort through this by hand. No magic." Hermione grinned as she walked over to a befuddled Draco.

"Why the bloody hell would we do that?" Draco asked incredulously as he looked at Hermione as if she had grown another head.

"You'll see." Hermione laughed as she gently tugged Draco's wand out of his hand and put it on the desk along with hers. "Now, pick up your trunk and bring it over to the bed."

"The things I do for you, I swear," Draco muttered under his breath as he bent down and grabbed his trunk off of the floor and then dumped it on the bed next to Hermione, who was shuffling through his clothes in an effort to find all of his socks and their matches.

"You really don't need an entire trunk full of clothes you know. After all, you're only going for the weekend, right?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I guess I don't need an entire trunk full of clothes, but this is the smallest suitcase I have."

"Hold on a second, you can use one of my bags then." Hermione smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walking out of his room.

"I'm not taking some girly bag! I have a reputation to maintain!" Draco called after her and heard her distant chuckle. Draco sighed and turned back to the bed, trying to figure out which of his things he wasn't going to take with him, throwing them back on the floor behind him. From there, they flew back to the wardrobe from whence they came.

"Do you really have no sense of organization at all?" Hermione asked incredulously as a white button-up shirt almost hit her in the head.

"I do! As you can see my room is perfectly clean." Draco gestured widely, showing how his room was perfectly organized.

"I meant without the help of house elves or magic." Hermione smirked at him.

"Why would anyone not use magic to keep everything organized?" Hermione gave him a pointed look. "I mean, besides muggles. They obviously don't," Draco quickly finished.

"You know, I grew up for just about twelve years not knowing I was a witch and I managed to keep everything nice and tidy."

"Which is a testament to how brilliant you are! I don't know how you do it, Hermione." Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Oh, stop kissing my arse."

"Such dirty words from such a pristine young lady." Draco smirked and snaked his hands around Hermione's waist, pressing her back closer to his chest as she continued to sort through his clothes.

"Oh, shut it. We are both quite aware of the fact that I am not all _that_ pristine."

"I do? I don't think I can recall. Perhaps you ought to remind me just how much of a dirty girl you are." Draco waggled his eyebrows in her direction.

"I don't know, Draco, I think I'd rather play dirty with someone who doesn't own a pair of teddy bear boxers." Hermione snickered as she held up the offending pair of Draco's underwear, which Draco quickly snatched out of her hands.

"I happen to have had these for a long time. They hold a sentimental value." Draco quickly stuffed them under his pillow and out of sight before concentrating on finding a pair of matching socks. Hermione shook her head and wrapped her arms around Draco's waist, placing delicate kisses on his shoulder. "If you think that you can just get away with making fun of me by being sweet and loving, you're wrong." Draco looked at the two mismatching socks he was holding before throwing them back down on the bed and looking over his shoulder, only to be met with wide eyes.

"But Draco, I thought you wanted me to be your dirty girl." Hermione pouted slightly moving so she was between Draco and the bed.

"Hermione, don't toy with me," Draco growled, trying to keep himself from throwing her down on the bed and having his way with her.

"But you said you wanted me to show you how much of a dirty girl I am." Hermione smirked slightly before she sat down on the bed, letting her skirt hike up a bit more than Draco was used to seeing. Draco swallowed, hard. Hermione wasn't this forward with him and he didn't want to get embarrassed if she was just messing around.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" Draco's voice was low and husky, which slightly surprised Hermione, but she just smiled, leaned forward, and grabbed his tie, pulling him close so that he was kneeling on the bed just in front of her.

"I'm going to have some fun before you leave," Hermione whispered, sending a shiver up Draco's spine before she pulled him closer so that his lips were flush with her own. Hermione smiled as Draco wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her up to his level as she quickly wove her hands into his hair.

Draco pushed Hermione slowly back onto the bed, pushing the clothes off the bed as he went, making sure that his lips didn't leave hers for even a briefest moment. He wasn't certain how far this was going to go, but he didn't want to push her any farther than she wanted it to. It was so unlike Hermione to be so forward, so he knew that sex was out of the question, at least for now. He didn't want to sleep with her just because he was leaving, and if truth be told, neither of them knew if he was going to be coming back the same, or if at all. He wanted to make love to her, just, not on a whim.

"Hermione. I have to finish packing," Draco murmured against her lips, pulling back ever so slightly. Hermione moaned from the slight loss of contact and reached for her wand from her pocket as she quickly turned her head to the side. Draco swiftly attached his lips to her neck, as she flicked her wand so everything went where it belonged. With another flick, a pile of clothes flew into the duffle bag that she had brought from her room. She promptly returned her attention back to Draco and his lips biting and sucking on her neck, leaving a mark that she knew would be tricky to cover up later. Hermione snaked her hands to his chest, hastily unbuttoning his shirt so her hands were able to roam around his well-built chest. Her fingers gently caressed each scar and indent that she came across, silently wondering how Draco had acquired each one, and slowly worrying that she would never find out.

She didn't want to let the panic set in, so she pulled Draco off of her neck and began to kiss him feverishly, pulling herself as close to him as possible, molding her body around his.

And for once, they weren't interrupted. They finally had a moment of just the two of them.

**Review? Please? I really appreciate them. They do make my day. **


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50 is here! At LAST! It took me long enough to get here…. :) **

**BIG thank you to Lizzie! For beta-ing this chapter, all ten pages of it. Don't know what I would do without you! (glomp) **

**Big thanks to all my readers. You're my motivation to keep writing! Thanks guys!**

**CHAPTER 50**

The carriage door shut with a surprisingly loud thud that startled Draco. He was in a carriage heading towards Hogsmeade, where he would apparate back home for the weekend. In all honesty, Draco was terrified of what awaited him back at the Malfoy Manor. His head was filled with thoughts of telling his parents that he was not engaged to Pansy Parkinson, but Hermione Granger instead. He could see the pure rage on his father's face as well as the look of betrayal from his mother. It really was not a pleasant thought.

Draco briefly stuck his head out the window and gave a glance at the castle that was now behind him. He tried to squint to see if he could make out the location of the Head's tower, but now, all he could see was dark slits in the walls, where windows should occupy. Draco turned around in his seat and slouched ever so slightly, feeling dejected and overcome with worry that he might never see this place again, might never see Hermione again. Draco tried to let himself be lulled into relaxation by the gentle rocking of the carriage, but his mind seemed be working in overdrive. This was one weekend that he wished would blow by as quickly as possible. But knowing his luck, it would probably be one of the slowest of his life.

Just as Draco was about to fall into an uneasy sleep, the carriage jerked to a stop just outside of the Hogsmeade station. Groaning, Draco pushed open the door and threw his bag over his shoulder as he stepped out. Hermione had convinced him that it was completely impractical to bring an entire trunk home with him when he only going back for a weekend and still had many clothes back at the manor he could wear. Draco's mouth quirked up slightly at the thought before he regained the trademark Malfoy arrogant composure that he would have to bare for the entire weekend. Draco hadn't realized how difficult this might be; he had grown so accustomed to being himself and being happy when he was around Hermione that he knew it might be a struggle to remain indifferent to any horrible things that could happen back at the manor, but he didn't realize how much he had changed since the school year had started. That startled him greatly.

Draco shook his head as if to clear any spider webs inside and headed towards the apparition point, where he saw a floppy-eared creature with big eyes playing with the hem of an old pillow case.

"Hello, Whipsy," Draco called out as he approached the house elf.

"Young master Malfoy! Your mother sent me here to take your trunk back for you!" The young house elf peered around Draco, looking to see if it was hiding behind him.

"Oh, all I brought with me was a small pack, Whipsy."

"But young master Malfoy always brings with him a trunk back to the manor!" Whipsy squeaked, looking slightly worried about what would happen if she showed back up without Draco's trunk like she was ordered to.

"Well, the head girl thought it was ridiculous that I brought an entire trunk home with me when I'll only be there for a couple of days. Don't you agree, Whipsy?"

"Yes, young master Malfoy. If Whipsy may give her opinion, sir, the miss sounds like a smart lady!"

"She is, Whipsy, but don't let my father hear that, all right, Whipsy? He doesn't like her much."

"Yes, young master Malfoy! Shall I take your bag home for you?"

"Sure. Just set it on my bed for me, if you please." Draco gave Whipsy a small smile and handed her the bag before she popped away. Draco sighed before walking to the apparition point and popping away to the manor.

It never failed to startle Draco just how big the manor looked from outside the gates. It seemed unnecessary to have a house with forty plus rooms when the family generally used only about ten or so of them. He highly doubted that he had even seen every room in the house yet. Letting out a long breath, Draco pushed through the gate and made his way to the front of the house before tapping his wand three times on the door knob. As the door opened before him, Draco quickly squared his shoulders and plastered on a haughty sneer on his face that screamed that he was an arrogant Malfoy and stepped into the house.

The house looked much like it always did. It was dark, despite being covered in white marble. The dark accents made it seem as if anything could be lurking behind a corner or as if something would suddenly jump out and murder you where you stood. And with the Dark Lord occasionally lurking about the house these days, being murdered where you stood was actually a very high possibility.

But that was no different from when he was much younger and most of the death eaters that had yet to be round up, seeking refuge in the many hidden passages and rooms throughout the house. He remembered his Aunt Bella, who had gone even crazier with the disappearance of her Dark Lord and master, taking a teddy bear that he was dragging behind him and slashing it with her wand so that it was horribly deformed and had most of its stuffing laying on the floor. Any pleasant memories here were far and few between, often occurring when he was either alone in the library, or on occasion when he was having a pleasant conversation about the gossip of the day with his mother. But more often than not, this house was filled with memories of pain and torture, and not just from Voldemort's era, but the entire Malfoy family, generation after generation, had left a reputation of misery and death behind them. This house and the rest of the estate was the only physical reminder of the previous generations and it seemed to scream just how evil this family was, continued on by family traditions and old fashioned beliefs and values that had yet to catch up with the present day.

But Draco couldn't linger in his thoughts, not here where his father might catch him off guard and have a look inside his mind, just to ensure that Draco was paying attention. It would be painful if he was ever caught thinking about ideals that did not follow the rest of the family's beliefs and values. His scars weren't from mere accidents after all.

He quickly suppressed a shudder and began to make his way up the grand staircase towards the East Wing, where his bedroom and study resided. He really didn't want to interact with anyone for a few hours, so he could still readjust to acting like a Malfoy was supposed to, instead of – as his father would say – like one of the those goody two-shoes Hufflepuffs (which Draco found great humor in, since he had always taken the most amount of points from Hufflepuffs for snogging in closets, or doing other unmentionables). Draco scoffed shortly as he made his way down the hallway.

Draco reached his bedroom only to find his mother standing by a window. The heavy drapes had been thrown wide open, letting the light stream in to make the room seem to glow in the sunlight. It had always seemed to be the only place in the manor that had been at least a little bit cheerful.

"Mother." Draco quickly squared his shoulders, stood up straight and gave a small nod of his head in her direction. He turned from her and made his way to his bed where the duffle bag lay, just as he had asked Whipsy to do.

"I didn't know that you had a suitcase like that, Draco. It's very plain," Narcissa said softly as she ran her fingers over the dark green velvet drapes.

"I borrowed it. I figured that bringing an entire trunk back to the manor from a weekend was quite pointless," Draco said in a monotone voice as he slowly began to pull each article of clothing out of the bag, trying not to have a reaction to any of the quite random pieces of clothing that had made their way into the bag with Hermione's hasty packing. Draco smiled briefly at this thought before remembering where he was and returning back to his old Malfoy arrogance.

"I figure you're right, it would make little sense to pack up all of you're belongings just for a weekend. Although, if you had the house elves do your packing and unpacking, you would hardly notice." Narcissa moved from the window and sat on the bed beside Draco's bag.

"I'm sure it would, mother. However, I find it somehow relaxing to unpack like this," Draco said, peering inside of the bag curiously, trying to see what other random pieces he could find.

"So it would seem. It's just so much like a muggle, Draco. I hope that Miss Granger hasn't been rubbing off on you." Narcissa's tone was full of concern, and she gently laid a hand on her son's arm, looking up at his face, trying to figure out what was going on behind his steel grey eyes.

"Well, it's possible, mother. I have become her friend in a way." Draco tried to seem very uninterested in the turn of the conversation.

"But, Draco, she's a Mudblood! she's so much beneath you!" Narcissa protested, her eyes widening in shock. Draco's hands tightened around the tie he was placing in a pile with the other ties as the word mudblood rang throughout his mind. He had nearly forgotten that back here, mudblood was the only way of referring to muggleborns; they hardly referred to them by their actual names even.

"Well, it was either argue with the girl I have to share a common room with for an entire year, or spend the year in some sort of peace. I chose the option that would result in fewer headaches. I was sure that it would be excusable in your eyes, but perhaps I am wrong," Draco said stiffly, which he was sure that his mother would take to be as offense to his ego and intelligence rather than something much more personal.

"That's fine, Draco. I just worry about you."

"Yes, I figure hearing that I have a friendship with a… mudblood, would be startling to you," Draco said stiffly, barely being able to say the word mudblood with indifference.

"Yes, Draco." Narcissa stood up before wrapping her arms around Draco from behind and placing her head on his shoulders. "I'm glad you're home, even if it's only for the weekend," she softly whispered before heading out of the room.

"Breakfast will be in half an hour," she called over her shoulder before the door shut behind her. Draco let out a large breath before collapsing onto the bed. He was startled by how much he had changed since September. How much he had changed as a person. It was true that he had never really believed that what his father said made perfect sense, but he blew that off as his teenage instincts to rebel. Now, it seemed like Hermione had intensified the feeling he had all along that his father was so unbelievably wrong.

Draco sat up and looked bag over to the duffle bag and pulled it over so it was sitting in his lap. As he looked in, he smiled. It appeared that Hermione hadn't taken out everything from the last time she used it.

Breakfast had passed by without an event, or really so much as a word. No one had even asked to pass the salt. While that was typical for the Malfoy family, it was quite the juxtaposition compared to the dinner he had in the Great Hall the night before. Draco had meandered throughout the house and out doors, carrying a book with him so that if he found a relaxing and comfortable place, he could sit down for a moment and take a quick breather from life.

"Young master Malfoy!" Whipsy had popped in front of him, startling him slightly. He glared for a brief moment at the house elf for scaring him, but as he saw her cower in fear, he instantly regained his composure.

"Yes, Whipsy?" Draco said politely, trying not to scare the poor creature further.

"Your father wishes to see you in his study," Whipsy squeaked.

"I see." Draco paused. " Whipsy, can you do me a favor?"

"Yes, young master Malfoy!"

"Can you place all of my school clothes that I brought back with me into that bag and place it outside just in front of gate?" Draco asked, gesturing to the bag that lay next to the chest of drawers before looking back to Whipsy, who looked slightly confused, but nodded her head anyway. "Thank You." Draco sighed as he turned to leave his room and began heading towards the other side of the manor. Draco already knew what his father was going to talk to him about: his engagement to Pansy, which he already knew wasn't going to happen. He was already fighting the urge to turn and run. How Gryffindors could do it baffled him; with every step he took, his courage seemed to disappear bit by bit. He knew he couldn't stop though, he had to leave his father in the dark for as long as possible. It was the only way he could possibly manage to escape with his life from the hell that was the Malfoy Manor, it was the only way that Hermione could possibly still be safe after this. He had to tell his father that he wasn't going to marry Pansy Parkinson.

So Draco kept on walking, keeping this in mind. He was no longer carrying the weight of his own life in his hands, but the weight of at least three other people. Not to mention the lives of anyone that could possibly come in the future. However, Draco closed his eyes for a moment and willed all thoughts of them out of his mind. He couldn't think about anything that had to do with them, less his own thoughts betray him and endanger them.

Draco took a deep breath and focused on each passing second before he rapped on the door that opened to Lucius' study.

"Enter."

Draco slowly opened the door and stepped inside to see his father reading over some paperwork that most likely had to entail details about the Malfoy estate.

"Close the door, Draco."

"You called for me, father?"

"Yes." Lucius removed the glasses from his face before looking intently at Draco. "I want to ensure that everything has been squared away with the Parkinson engagement."

"No, father, it hasn't."

"And why would that be?"

"Excuse me, father, but I believe it to be against my morals to ask the girlfriend of my best mate to be my wife. Furthermore, I don't want to feel obligated for them to see each other after we've wed because I have a guilty conscience," Draco said calmly.

"I see. So you are willing to put the entire Malfoy estate at jeopardy because you don't want to hurt your friend's feelings? That is very unlike you, Draco."

"Being Head Boy, father, I've had to learn some compassion. I almost lost the position at the beginning of the year because I was cruel to my fellow classmates. If you remember."

"That does not excuse the fact that you have refused to ask her, Draco."

"I am perfectly capable of choosing a wife that suits me just fine, father."

"We have done it this way to ensure that no one is marrying the Malfoy name for our money, Draco!"

"The children aren't, father, but their parents are. All they care about is improving their estate. Is that not why you want me to marry Parkinson, so that our estate can be larger?"

"Draco, this is not the point of these marriages."

"Oh, but it is, father, and you and I both know it. Does it really matter if the biggest estate in the wizarding world get bigger?"

"Draco, it is our duty to this estate that –"

"Oh, I get it, this estate runs us. We serve the estate. Not the other way around. I completely understand, father."

"Draco! What on earth is the matter with you? You had no objection before now."

"No objection? I have always objected. I have never wanted to run the estate as my career for the rest of my life. I have never wanted to be told who I married. That may be you, father, but that is not me!"

"How dare you assume that this was the life I wanted myself to have. I wanted to work in the Department of Mysteries when I was your age, but I wasn't allowed."

"So that's it, father? You're going to subject me to the same hell of a life that you lived? Why, thank you, father. I really see how I have been prioritized in your life." Draco turned around and left Lucius' study, slamming the door behind him.

"Draco Malfoy, get back here this instant!" Lucius called out from the study, astonished that his son had spoken back to his father. But as the shock ebbed away, it was replaced by fury. He stormed out of his office, pulling his wand out of the depths of his robes before pointing it at Draco.

"Draco, come back here, now," Lucius yelled, but Draco ignored him and continued to storm down the hall, hardly pausing as a spell whistled past him and left a scorch mark in the wall. He was so furious that the air around him crackled.

Narcissa, who had heard the commotion from the first floor parlor, had rushed up the stairs, only to see another flash of light fly across the top of the stairwell. Much to her displeasure, she was not surprised.

"Draco! Lucius! What is going on?!" she screeched.

"Stay out of this, Cissa," Lucius yelled as another jet of light shot out of his wand.

"Lucius! Stop that this instant!" Narcissa yelled as she stepped into the middle of the hall, making it impossible for Lucius to curse Draco without hitting her first. Lucius continued to point his wand in her general direction as if he was trying to figure out how to get around her without harming her. She didn't move, however, until she heard the loud slam of the door at the other end of the corridor.

"What the hell has gotten into you? You're trying to curse our son now? I thought that we had gotten past this!" Narcissa screamed at him.

"He's going to ruin this family, don't you understand? He's refusing to marry the Parkinson girl. Not only will our family be shamed, but it doesn't increase the income of the estate!" he yelled back, gesturing with his wand that was currently emitting red sparks. Narcissa slowly walked forward, letting her carefully controlled emotions give way to the anger that she felt towards her husband.

"Is that still all you care about? How much money the estate makes? The happiness of our only son can be damned as long as we continue to make more and more money. We already have more than enough money for ten generations to keep living the lifestyle we live now! I thought you were better than this, you told me that you would be better than this, but you're just as greedy and spiteful as your father," Narcissa accused, looking at him as if he was hardly worthy of cleaning the dirt off of her shoes.

"Don't talk down to me like you're better than me, Narcissa."

"I'm still a Black by blood, Lucius, and my blood is better than yours," Narcissa warned him, pausing to watch him carefully. "Is that not why your parents arranged our marriage, because I was a wonderful asset to add to the estate, and my inheritance and income from the Black estate was greater than that of the Malfoy's? And then, it was divided between my other two sisters at the time. You were just lucky enough that Andromeda decided to run off and marry that mudblood and that Bellatrix was thrown into Azkaban along with her husband, meaning that the entire value of the estate belongs to me now. What a valuable, shiny object I am," Narcissa sneered, catching Lucius off guard.

"Narcissa, you know you mean much more to me than that."

"Do I? Because it seems that you only want Draco to marry Miss Parkinson because of her family name and estate. You sound just like every Malfoy male to pass through these walls, and I'll be damned if you turn my son into the same kind of man." Narcissa glared at her husband.

"You're still bitter," Lucius said softly.

"Why would I not be bitter? I had no choice. I don't have the guts that Andromeda has. My parents didn't think that I was wise enough to pick out the man that I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Please tell me why I wouldn't be bitter, Lucius. You know I never like all the traditions that encompassed living as a true pureblood witch."

"You always seemed happy with marrying me."

"I was lucky. I fell in love with you along the way here. But you must realize that we are rare. Hardly any of our friends actually love their spouses, most of them have men and women outside of their marriages. Do you really want Draco, our only son, to wind up with a mistress, just so he can feel some happiness? Don't you want him to be able to feel the love we feel for each other?" Narcissa asked him, trying to persuade him to see her way.

"It defies everything, Narcissa, everything that a pureblood is. We have to maintain the line," Lucius countered.

"Draco is going to be a Malfoy no matter what happens. That isn't going to change. Just don't turn our son into something awful, please." Narcissa placed a hand on his chest, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

"You're an amazing woman," Lucius whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to his chest.

"Only a certain kind of woman can handle you Malfoy men." Narcissa laughed.

* * *

Draco slammed his door shut, fury still raging through him. He rested his head on his door and slowly slid down to the ground. This was not going well, and if his father had acted this poorly to him not wanting to marry Pansy, he knew that when he did find out who he planned on spending the rest of his life with, he could make the Dark Lord seem like a wimp. He really should just leave now and go back to Hogwarts, finish out the year and the run and hide with Hermione until it was safe to come back into the public eye. Or, at least until it was safe enough that he wouldn't have to endure the wrath of his father. He had already used almost every ounce of courage that he had left; he was a Slytherin, sly and cunning, but he was no Gryffindor.

Draco closed his eyes and pictured Hermione in his mind's eye, her smiling face and dark brown eyes. He smiled briefly as the image of her turned into her yelling at him. He loved how she could get so riled up. And if he didn't come back, the fury that would be unleashed onto his father would be a sight to see.

So it was decided: Draco would face his demons, because if he didn't, Hermione would take care of them for him. And as much as he loved her, he didn't want his problems to be solved by someone else; he would never be able to live it down. So it was decided: tonight, at dinner, he would tell them. Then he would leave.

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